Bad news for those going to the Eden Center this afternoon: you’ll have to contend with a smoldering pile of garbage in the middle of Wilson Blvd.
Firefighters from Arlington and Fairfax County were dispatched to the intersection of Wilson Blvd and Roosevelt Blvd — near the Eden Center and the border of Falls Church and Arlington — around 1:30 p.m.
Refuse in the back of a garbage truck reportedly caught fire, leading the driver to dump the load across the street.
As of 1:45 p.m. firefighters were working to douse residual fire within the stinky, steaming trash pile. Wilson Blvd was blocked in both directions as of publication time.
Dumping the flaming garbage appears to be standard procedure so that the truck itself does not go up in flames. Similar trash fires previously happened locally in May 2019 and August 2021.
Officers are on scene assisting @ffxfirerescue at Wilson Blvd and Peyton Randolph Dr for garbage that caught on fire inside of a trash truck. The roadway is closed in both directions as crews work to clean up the road. Please avoid the area. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/ecbgf1s4pr
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) September 19, 2023