fire department

BREAKING: Fire Reported at N. Glebe Road Business

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 6:15 p.m.) Arlington County firefighters are on scene of a possible electrical fire at a commercial building along N. Glebe Road near Lee Highway.

The fire was first reported around 5:45 p.m. at 2130 N. Glebe Road, which houses an Arlington Community Federal Credit Union branch and Patriot Crossfit.

Arriving units reported smoke coming from the building. As of 6:10 p.m. there was no active fire reported and some units were starting to leave the scene. As of 6:15 p.m., the northbound lanes of Glebe were being reopened.

All lanes of N. Glebe Road are currently closed between Lee Highway and 21st Street N., according to ACFD.

Fire Department’s ‘Operation Firepaws’ Donation Drive Begins Tuesday

By Chris Teale

The Arlington County Fire Department’s month-long donation drive for the Animal Welfare League of Arlington begins tomorrow (Tuesday).

Now in its second year, Operation Firepaws will run throughout August as firefighters across the county collect various non-perishable items for AWLA. Last year, more than 600 pounds of pet supplies was donated, a total ACFD hopes to beat this year.

The fire department and AWLA ask mostly for donations of canned food, collars, toys and some office supplies. The Animal Welfare League asked that Milk Bones, other boxed hard treats and homemade treats not be donated.

Throughout the month, the fire department will feature pet safety tips and profiles of pets up for adoption from AWLA on its Facebook and Twitter pages.

Donations will be accepted through August 31, and are encouraged between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Donation bins will be located in front of the entrances of all county fire stations:

  • Fire Station 1 – 500 S. Glebe Road
  • Fire Station 2 – 4805 Wilson Blvd
  • Fire Station 3 – 4100 Old Dominion Drive
  • Fire Station 4 – 3121 10th Street N.
  • Fire Station 5 – 1750 S. Hayes Street
  • Fire Station 6 – 6950 Little Falls Road
  • Fire Station 7 – 3116 S. Abingdon Street
  • Fire Station 8 – 4845 Lee Highway
  • Fire Station 9 – 1900 S. Walter Reed Drive
  • Fire Station 10 – 1559 Wilson Blvd

BREAKING: House Fire in Lyon Village

By ARLnow.com
1/15

(Updated at 4 p.m.) Arlington County firefighters are battling a house fire in Lyon Village.

The fire was reported around 3:15 p.m. on the 1700 block of N. Edgewood Street.

As of 3:35 p.m. light smoke was still coming from the house’s roof as firefighters were cutting a hole in the roof with a chainsaw and dousing the upper floor with water.

Af of 3:45 p.m. it appeared that the fire had been extinguished. So far no injuries have been reported, and all the house’s occupants evacuated safely.

On account of the warm weather, the fire department was careful to ensure that firefighters were given plenty of water and time to cool off after battling the flames.

This is the second house fire in the Lyon Village neighborhood in the past month.

Shirlington Bus Stop Busted By Errant Driver

By ARLnow.com

A bus stop, fire hydrant and sign were damaged by an errant driver in the Shirlington area this past Saturday evening.

The fire department tweeted a photo of the damage Monday, with a skull-and-crossbones above the fallen hydrant, urging drivers to “keep your wheels on the road and save our hydrants!”

Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage said the driver of the striking vehicle — a Nissan Altima — was cited for the crash.

“At approximately 7:11 p.m. on July 22, police responded to a single vehicle crash in the 2500 block of S. Arlington Mill Drive,” said Savage. “The driver was traveling eastbound on S. Arlington Mill Drive when the vehicle left the roadway and collided with a bus stop, fire hydrant and light pole. The driver was cited for failure to maintain proper control of their vehicle.”

So far, there’s no exact timeframe or cost estimate for repairs.

“The bus stop is on the schedule to be fixed as soon as possible,” said Dept. of Environmental Services spokeswoman Jessica Baxter. “Crews will have to get in there and assess the damage to determine cost and timeline for repair.”

Photo (top) via Arlington County Fire Department/Twitter, (middle) via Google Maps

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Girls’ Firefighting Camp Featured on BBC — The annual girls’ firefighting camp held by Arlington County was the subject of a BBC News video segment, which was published online yesterday. [BBC]

Arlington Treated to ‘Massive’ Rainbow — After yesterday’s downpours, a bright rainbow was visible over Arlington, prompting a photo opportunity that many took advantage of. [Twitter]

Sunday’s Storm on Video — A Pentagon City resident captured one of Sunday’s storms on video, showing torrential rain, strong wind and a screen door that had blown off a building and got stuck in a tree. [YouTube]

Motorcycle Crash Closes Lanes on Glebe Road

By ARLnow.com
1/2

A crash involving a motorcyclist sent one person to the hospital and closed lanes on Glebe Road this morning.

The crash happened around 10 a.m. in the southbound lanes of Glebe near an on-ramp to Route 50. Initial reports suggest a driver in a silver Mercedes-Benz struck the motorcycle, sending its rider tumbling onto the street.

The rider reportedly suffered only minor injuries and was transported via ambulance to the hospital.

An Arlington County Fire Department hazmat crew witnessed the crash and was the first to call it in to dispatchers, according to scanner traffic.

The southbound lanes of Glebe were blocked immediately following the crash. As of 10:55 a.m. one lane remains blocked as the motorcycle is loaded onto a flatbed tow truck.

Arlington Receives FEMA Grant For Terrorist Attack Preparation

By Chris Teale

Arlington County will receive more than $1 million in federal grant money to prepare for future terrorist attacks, Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) announced last week.

Arlington, home to the Pentagon and other key government and military offices, will receive just over $1.2 million from the Program to Prepare Communities for Complex Coordinated Terrorist Attacks grant program, administered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

A total of $35.9 million was allocated nationwide, of which Virginia received $3.8 million.

The Virginia Department of Emergency Management will receive just over $2 million, and the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority will receive just over $595,000. MWAA is responsible for managing Reagan National Airport in the county as well as Dulles International Airport and the Dulles Toll Road.

VDEM will administer the money and coordinate a project to help enhance security and building safety to prepare for, prevent and respond to terrorist attacks. The agency will conduct an analysis alongside local and regional partners like Arlington’s Office of Emergency Management and its police and fire departments, to determine gaps in preparedness. Local first responders then will receive customized training to fill the gaps.

“Given our strategic location as a part of the national capital region, and our wide array of assets, including military infrastructure, we are at risk of experiencing these types of attacks and incidents,” said Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) in a statement. “FEMA clearly recognized that risk and has awarded Virginia nearly 10 percent of the total funding allocated nationwide to develop programs and capabilities that will enhance public safety across the Commonwealth.”

Spokespeople for Arlington’s police and fire departments had no further details at this stage on how the money will be spent.

ACFD Responds to Rosslyn Station for Possible Track Fire

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 11:30 a.m.) Arlington County firefighters are on scene at the Rosslyn Metro station, investigating a reported track fire between Rosslyn and Courthouse.

No smoke or fire has so far been found in any of the tunnels. However, Metro is warning of delays on the Orange and Silver lines as a result of single-tracking through Rosslyn.

Traffic impacts are likely outside of the Rosslyn station due to a large number of fire department vehicles. As of 11:30 a.m., most fire personnel were starting to clear the scene, reporting that the problem is a Metro maintenance issue and not an active fire.

BREAKING: Person Struck By Train at Va. Square

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 10:20 p.m.) A person was struck by a train at the Virginia Square Metro station Thursday night.

The incident happened around 9:30 p.m. Initial reports suggest the person who was struck is still on the tracks and has died.

Police and firefighters are on the scene. Metro Transit Police say an adult male was on the tracks “intentionally” and was struck and killed. One witness said the deceased individual “jumped in front of… a Silver Line train headed into the city.”

Metro’s Orange and Silver lines are suspended between East Falls Church and Clarendon. Shuttles are being dispatched to the stations. Metro riders should expect delays on both lines.

Woman Rescued After Falling Down Embankment Near Chain Bridge

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County firefighters helped to rescue a woman who fell down an embankment near Chain Bridge this afternoon.

The incident happened around 3 p.m. Initial reports suggest a 72-year-old woman fell 100-150 feet down an embankment along the Potomac Heritage Trail.

A fire department technical rescue team was dispatched to the scene, but rescuers were able to eventually walk the patient up the hill and to an ambulance, where she was evaluated for injuries, according to scanner traffic.

Police blocked the inbound lane of N. Glebe Road near the bridge during the rescue, due to a large number of fire department vehicles in the roadway.

Image via Google Maps

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Crystal City Hotel Worker Sexually Assaulted — A female employee of the Hyatt Regency hotel in Crystal City was sexually assaulted Sunday morning, according to police. A 34-year-old man from Bahrain was arrested following the assault. [WJLA, Fox 5]

Arlington Man Beaten to Death in Brooklyn — An Arlington resident was beaten to death by a 69-year-old man in his Brooklyn home, in what’s being described as a case of self-defense during a home invasion. Rodolfo Rosa, 48, of Arlington, Va., died after suffering severe head trauma during the alleged break-in and the struggle that ensued. [New York Post, New York Post]

ACFD to Hold Fire Camp for Girls — Thursday is the first day of Arlington County’s annual all-girls firefighting camp, which “introduces teens to the male-dominated career of firefighting” and encourages them to pursue a career as a firefighter or paramedic. [Washington Post]

Slow Drivers in Passing Lane to Be Fined — Starting this past Saturday, a new law went into effect in Virginia which makes it illegal to misuse the passing lane by driving slowly in the left lane longer than necessary. Those pulled over for it face a $100 fine. [WHSV]

No Flag Waving at Arlington Cemetery — It is technically illegal to wave an American flag at Arlington National Cemetery. That is an unintended side effect of — or, perhaps, collateral damage from — a 2006 federal law meant to crack down on anti-gay protests during military funerals. [Washington Post]

Photos: Costumes of BlerDCon — “The inaugural BlerDCon… brought out thousands of cosplayers of color from across the country” in Crystal City this past weekend. ESPN’s The Undefeated has photos of some of the attendees. [The Undefeated]

Photo via @kcristol

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