fire department

BREAKING: Man Pinned Under Collapsed Wall

By ARLnow.com
1/19

(Updated 5:35 p.m.) A man was rescued by Arlington County firefighters after being pinned under a collapsed wall at a house on Old Dominion Drive this afternoon.

Crews responded around 2 p.m. Tuesday to a home on the 4700 block of Old Dominion Drive, where the man was pinned below his waist by a two-ton concrete slab. According to scanner traffic, he had been working on the wall when it gave way.

The man was conscious and being tended to by medics while a technical rescue team shored up the wall and removed the collapsed material. The man was extricated at approximately 2:55 p.m. and transported to the hospital.

Police closed Old Dominion Drive in both directions between Lee Highway and 23rd Street N. due to the emergency response. The road reopened shortly after 4 p.m.

According to scanner traffic, investigators from the police as well as the the state occupational safety agency will inspect the incident site.

BREAKING: House Fire in Lyon Village

By ARLnow.com
1/23

(Updated at 4:55 p.m.) Arlington County firefighters are on scene of a two alarm house fire in the Lyon Village neighborhood.

The fire was reported in both the basement and the attic of a home on the 3100 block of 17th Street N. The basement fire was quickly extinguished while firefighters used ladders, axes and lots of water to battle the flames in the attic.

The fire was out and the situation was said to be “stable” shortly before 5 p.m., according to scanner traffic.

The occupants of the home made it out safely. No injuries were reported among the firefighters.

BREAKING: Fire At New Ballston Apartment Building

By ARLnow.com
1/9

(Updated at 3 p.m.) An under-construction replacement for the former Marymount University “Blue Goose” building in Ballston is on fire.

Firefighters are on the scene of a two-alarm apartment fire on the seventh floor of 1008 N. Glebe Road, according to scanner traffic. They’re reportedly having issues with water pressure in the building, though as of 2:55 p.m. the fire is said to have been extinguished. In addition to stairs, firefighters used a ladder truck to reach the apartment that was on fire.

Police have closed the southbound lanes and one northbound lane of N. Glebe Road between 11th Street and Fairfax Drive. Drivers should expect traffic impacts in the area.

The nearly-completed building, with more than 260 apartment units, was expected to be move-in ready this summer, according to the developer’s website.

BREAKING: Tree Down on Power Lines, Brush Fire Along Four Mile Run Drive

By ARLnow.com
1/5

Update at 2:30 p.m. — The fire has been extinguished and Four Mile Run Drive is expected to reopen shortly. The access road is expected to remain closed until the fallen tree is removed.

Update at 2:15 p.m. — Electricity has been shut off to the fallen power lines and firefighters are now working to extinguish the brush fire.

Earlier: A tree has fallen on power lines and sparked a growing brush fire along Four Mile Run Drive.

The incident was first reported by a passerby just after 1 p.m.

Initial reports suggest a large tree fell across the Four Mile Run Drive access road, striking a power line. That sparked a brush fire in the dry grass below, which as of 1:20 p.m. continues to burn.

The fire department cannot extinguish the wildfire around the power line until Dominion Power crews arrive and shut off the power, according to scanner traffic. As of 1:40 p.m. the flames were nearing vehicles parked along the access road.

Residents should expect “a lot of smoke in the area,” according to a police officer on scene. Police have shut down traffic in both directions on the access road near S. Wakefield Street and are preparing to shut down the mainline Four Mile Run Drive.

Photo courtesy Alex Chamandy, John Chandler

UPDATED: Hazmat Incident at GMU Law School in Va. Square

By ARLnow.com
1/3

Update at 6:45 p.m. — The fire department has cleared the scene and all lanes of Fairfax Drive are back open.

The Arlington County Fire Department is investigating a hazmat incident at George Mason University’s law school in Virginia Square.

The incident happened on the third floor of the law school building, at 3301 Fairfax Drive, and involves a suspicious envelope containing a “powdery substance,” according to fire department spokesman Lt. Jeff Crooke. One person who opened the envelope is being evaluated but is not believed be suffering any medical issues at this time.

Police have blocked the westbound lanes of Fairfax Drive due to the emergency response.

The law school was recently renamed the Antonin Scalia Law School, after the late Supreme Court justice.

Map via Google Maps

ACFD Assists on Route 7 Mattress Store Fire

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County firefighters assisted Fairfax County on a fire at a strip mall near Bailey’s Crossroads Friday afternoon.

The fire broke out in a mattress store on the 5900 block of Leesburg Pike (Route 7) just before 4:30 p.m. A second alarm was sounded shortly thereafter.

Several ACFD units responded to the scene after a Rapid Intervention Team was requested by Fairfax.

Suspicious Package Investigation at Virginia Hospital Center

By ARLnow.com

Police and firefighters are on scene at the Virginia Hospital Center emergency room investigating a suspicious package.

The hospital and the emergency room have remained open during the investigation.

No significant safety hazard has been reported but those heading to the hospital should expect police and fire department activity in the area.

Update at 2:15 p.m. — The incident was prompted by a “suspicious package received in the mailroom” of the hospital, according to Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

Update at 1:10 p.m. — The “all clear” has been given.

File photo

Woman Found Lying on GW Parkway

By Chris Teale

(Updated at 7 p.m.) A woman was found lying in the middle of the roadway along the George Washington Parkway Monday night.

First reports indicated the was woman lying in the northbound lanes near the Key Bridge. U.S. Park Police officers responded to the call, assisted by medics from the Arlington County Fire Department.

A fire department spokesman said Park Police made first contact with the woman.

When units arrived, the spokesman said, they found the woman able to speak but “with an altered level of consciousness and possibly wanting to commit suicide.” Medics transported her to Virginia Hospital Center for treatment.

U.S. Park Police has not provided additional details about the incident.

Morning Notes

By Katie Pyzyk

Video of Weekend ATV Riders — For the second consecutive weekend, dirt bike and ATV riders took to county roads. This time, there’s clear video of the riders taking up all lanes of traffic on Route 50 and performing stunts. [WJLA]

Operation Firesafe in Full Swing — Arlington firefighters are hitting the streets for Operation Firesafe, which is the annual free door-to-door smoke alarm and fire safety canvassing program. Firefighters travel throughout the county on Saturdays from April through October to check residents’ fire safety and to install smoke detectors. Arlington residents can request a free smoke detector online. [Arlington County Fire Department]

Teen Leadership Program Applicants Wanted — The Leadership Center for Excellence is looking for motivated rising high school juniors and seniors for its summer Leadership Arlington Youth Program. [InsideNova]

ACFD Presents Awards for Heroism and Valor

By Katie Pyzyk
1/5

Three first responders who braved dangerous conditions during significant fires received top honors at today’s Arlington County Fire Department Recognition and Awards Ceremony.

ACFD’s highest level of recognition is the Medal of Valor-Gold, which honors a member of the fire department who performs an act of valor or heroism in life threatening conditions while trying to save another person. Firefighter/EMT Chad Aldridge received the award for his attempts to rescue two people trapped in a 2014 house fire in Nauck. Aldridge escaped the deadly blaze with first- and second-degree burns, which he sustained when a flashover occurred.

Lt. Fred Kawatsky and firefighter/EMT Jason Updyke received the Medal of Valor-Silver for performing acts that involve great personal risk. They assisted with rescuing victims at a 2014 apartment fire near Columbia Pike. The two moved a wheelchair-bound victim to a safer place inside the smoke-filled building and provided medical care when the person stopped breathing.

Fire Chief James Bonzano and Deputy Chief John Warren presented these and other awards. A total of 23 awards were given to both uniformed and non-uniformed members of the fire department, an Arlington police officer, an Emergency Communications Center dispatcher and three civilians.

Cigarette Sparks Ballston House Fire

By Katie Pyzyk
1/4

Firefighters spent part of Saturday night extinguishing a house fire on the 1300 block of N. Stuart Street in Ballston.

Arlington County firefighters arrived around 8 p.m. to find flames that originated near the back porch and extended to part of the attic. Crews managed to put out the fire in about 20 minutes.

Emergency crews reported that none of the four to five people living in the home were injured, and neither was their dog.

An ACFD spokesperson says an improperly discarded cigarette sparked the fire. It reportedly was thrown into dry leaves and shrubbery, which then ignited the porch.

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