<bt>A fire at 426 N. Union St., Alexandria, Tuesday night claimed the life of 64 year-old Charles Hudson, president, Gates Hudson Associates, a commercial real estate firm headquartered in Fairfax. He was pronounced dead at Inova Alexandria Hospital, according to Jane Malik, public information officer, Alexandria Fire Department.
At 10:18 p.m. Fire Department apparatus responded to a house fire where "light smoke was coming from a third floor window" of the Old Town townhouse when the first units arrived. "Firefighters forced entry into the house and found a man on the second floor," Malik said.
The victim was evacuated to waiting paramedics who transported him by medic unit to the hospital where he died just after 11 p.m. "He was alone in the house at the time of the fire," Malik said. An autopsy was scheduled to be conducted Wednesday, March 23, to determine the cause of death, according to the Department.
Firefighters contained the blaze, which was extinguished within approximately 25 minutes, to the second floor. Damage is estimated at $40,000. The cause is under investigation by the Fire Marshal's Office.