fire department

Morning Notes

By Katie Pyzyk

Christmas tree on top of Lee Heights Shops

ACFD Food Drive Ends Friday — The Arlington County Fire Department’s food drive, which began on December 1, will end this Friday, December 21. So far, ACFD has collected more than 1,200 pounds of food for the Arlington Food Assistance Center. Non-perishable food can be donated at all Arlington and Falls Church fire departments, and at the county government building at 2100 Clarendon Blvd.

County Hopes Residents Remove Snow to Avoid Fines — Arlington officials are reminding residents that it could be another year that snow piles up and needs to be removed from sidewalks. The county hopes residents follow the snow removal ordinance that was put in place in 2010. Failure to remove snow is a civil infraction that holds fines of $50-100, and moving snow from private property into public areas (like streets) is a Class 4 misdemeanor. So far, no tickets have been issued under the ordinance. [Sun Gazette]

Sandy Hook School Fundraiser — Whitlow’s (2854 Wilson Blvd) is hosting a fundraiser tonight (December 19) to raise money for families affected by Friday’s shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. The effort was spearheaded by alumni from Virginia Tech who were students during that school’s deadly shooting in 2007. All proceeds from the event will go to the Sandy Hook School Support fund. There will also be a table set up for patrons to make cards to be sent to the community in Connecticut. [Hokies for Sandy Hook]

Fireplace Safety Tips from ACFD

By ARLnow.com

The first day of winter is only a week away (Dec. 21). As temperatures continue to fall, more Arlington residents are expected to start using their fireplaces.

While a fireplace can provide warmth and make for a cozy holiday setting, it can also be dangerous if not cared for properly.

At the request of ARLnow.com, the Arlington County Fire Department sent us the following safety tips for fireplace users, as outlined by the U.S. Fire Administration.

Keep Fireplaces and Wood Stoves Clean

  • Have your chimney or wood stove inspected and cleaned annually by a certified chimney specialist.
  • Clear the area around the hearth of debris, decorations and flammable materials.
  • Leave glass doors open while burning a fire. Leaving the doors open ensures that the fire receives enough air to ensure complete combustion and keeps creosote from building up in the chimney.
  • Close glass doors when the fire is out to keep air from the chimney opening from getting into the room. Most glass fireplacedoors have a metal mesh screen which should be closed when the glass doors are open. This mesh screen helps keep embers from getting out of the fireplace area.
  • Always use a metal mesh screen with fireplaces that do not have a glass fireplace door.
  • Install stovepipe thermometers to help monitor flue temperatures.
  • Keep air inlets on wood stoves open, and never restrict air supply to fireplaces. Otherwise you may cause creosote buildup that could lead to a chimney fire.
  • Use fire-resistant materials on walls around wood stoves.

Safely Burn Fuels

  • Never use flammable liquids to start a fire.
  • Use only seasoned hardwood. Soft, moist wood accelerates creosote buildup. In pellet stoves, burn only dry, seasoned wood pellets.
  • Build small fires that burn completely and produce less smoke.
  • Never burn cardboard boxes, trash or debris in your fireplace or wood stove.
  • When building a fire, place logs at the rear of the fireplace on an adequate supporting grate.
  • Never leave a fire in the fireplace unattended. Extinguish the fire before going to bed or leaving the house.
  • Allow ashes to cool before disposing of them. Place ashes in a tightly covered metal container and keep the ash container at least 10 feet away from your home and any other nearby buildings. Never empty the ash directly into a trash can. Douse and saturate the ashes with water.

Protect the Outside of Your Home

  • Stack firewood outdoors at least 30 feet away from your home.
  • Keep the roof clear of leaves, pine needles and other debris.
  • Cover the chimney with a mesh screen spark arrester.
  • Remove branches hanging above the chimney, flues or vents.

Protect the Inside of Your Home

  • Install smoke alarms on every level of your home and inside and outside of sleeping areas. Test them monthly and change the batteries at least once a year. Consider installing the new long life smoke alarms.
  • Provide proper venting systems for all heating equipment.
  • Extend all vent pipes at least three feet above the roof.

Flickr pool photo by Chris Rief

Weekend House Fires

By ARLnow.com

Two house fires caused damage in Arlington over the weekend.

A fire in the attic of a home on the 900 block of Patrick Henry Drive, in the Dominion Hills neighborhood near Seven Corners, caused significant damage late Saturday night. Two residents were displaced by the fire and the Red Cross responded to the scene to assist them, according to Arlington County Fire Department spokesman Capt. Gregg Karl.

Another house fire was reported around the same time on the 2500 block of Walter Reed Drive, at the Windgate townhouse community. The fire was on the first floor of the home and was quickly extinguished.

Both fires are under investigation, Karl said.

ACFD Holding Food Drive for AFAC

By ARLnow.com

The Arlington County Fire Department will be holding a holiday food drive for the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) starting on Saturday.

The food drive will run from Saturday, Dec. 1 to Friday, Dec. 21. Firefighters will collect non-perishable food donations at fire stations in Arlington and Falls Church, and at the county government building at 2100 Clarendon Blvd in Courthouse. The donations will then be sent to AFAC, which is based in the Shirlington area.

AFAC is most in need of items like cereal, flour, cooking oil, pasta or canned tuna, according to a press release. The organization serves more than 4,000 adults and children on an average week.

“It’s a myth that no one in Arlington goes hungry,” Arlington Fire Chief James Schwartz said in a statement. “Every week, thousands of families and children need our help, just to survive. The men and women of ACFD want to do what they can to help our community, especially during this special time of year.”

The fire department will not be participating in the annual “Toys for Tots” drive this year.

In addition to the ACFD food drive, Arlington County will be running its annual Secret Santa program, which collects gift cards to be donated to needy families, seniors and Foster children.

ACFD: Distracted Cooking Is Top Thanksgiving Fire Hazard

By ARLnow.com

Normally around this time of year, readers and watchers of local news are bombarded with warnings about the dangers of turkey fryers. Those dangers still exist — see below — but the Arlington County Fire Department says there’s another Thanksgiving danger that often goes un-publicized: distracted cooking.

“Burnt food or food on the stove calls are more frequent than turkey fryer incidents,” ACFD spokesman Capt. Gregg Karl told ARLnow.com. “Distracted cooking is hazardous.”

Distracted cooking leads to almost daily fire-related calls to houses and apartment buildings in Arlington. Most food-on-the-stove calls just result in lots of smoke or minor fires that are quickly extinguished, but some can lead to full-scale fires.

The department offered the following cooking safety tips for the holidays and beyond.

Don’t be distracted while cooking. Guests and other distractions can take your attention from cooking which could result in a fire or injury. Don’t leave any cooking unattended.

Wear short sleeves or fitted sleeves. Loose fitting sleeves can contact heat sources and catch fire.

Turn pot and pan handles away from the stoves edge to prevent burns and scalds.

If you are going to fry a turkey follow all recommendations by the manufacturer for the fryer. Do not use the fryer on a deck or close to a residence.

Have a “kid free zone” 3 feet around the stove or areas where cooking is being done. Keeping the children away will help prevent burn and scald injuries.

On the inevitable topic of turkey fryers, Karl cautioned against a new indoor turkey fryer that seems safer than the traditional kind, but which is susceptible to the same fire hazards.

Karl said the popular Butterball Indoor Electric Turkey Fryer, seen in the video below, can still cause a fire if overfilled with oil.

“We do not believe they are any more or less hazardous than a regular deep fat fryer,” he said. “The same risks still exist frying a turkey indoors or outdoors. We ask people read the manufacturers recommendations and be certain the turkey is completely thawed before frying.”

“We wish everybody a safe Thanksgiving,” Karl added.

Gas Leak Shuts Down Roads in Buckingham

By ARLnow.com

Update at 1:35 p.m. — The “all clear” has been given. Road closures are now being lifted.

Earlier: A two square block area in the Buckingham neighborhood, near the Gates of Ballston apartment complex, has been closed to vehicle and pedestrian vehicle due to a gas line rupture.

Construction workers ruptured a 2 inch gas line outside an apartment building at the corner of 4th Street N. and N. Thomas Street, according to scanner traffic. Washington Gas is on scene making repairs while firefighters stand by.

Police have shut down 4th Street between Glebe Road and George Mason Drive, and N. Thomas Street between N. Henderson Road and N. Pershing Drive.

The road closures may soon be lifted, however, as Washington Gas has reportedly shut off the gas to the ruptured line.

File photo

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

IAFF: Only We Fight Fires in Arlington — IAFF Local 2800, Arlington’s firefighter union, wants residents to know that their members are the only ones who fight fires in Arlington. The union is trying to draw attention to a web page set up to clarify the differences between professional Arlington County firefighters and members of local volunteer firefighting organizations, who have been soliciting donations. “You may be wondering ‘are my fire and rescue services provided by volunteer firefighters?'” the union wrote. “The answer is no.” [IAFF Local 2800]

Wag More Dogs Gets New Mural — Wag More Dogs, the Shirlington dog grooming business that had to whitewash its doggy mural after losing a legal battle over signage restrictions with Arlington County, has a new mural that no one will interpret as a form of advertising this time around. The mural, painted by itinerant artists Zack Weaver and Rob Fogle, depicts two birds sitting in a hot tub on a tree. During the two weeks it took to create the mural, Weaver and Fogle lived in their truck (dubbed the “Art Cream Truck” and decorated with a painting of a well-endowed green-skinned woman) which they parked outside the dog park. [Huffington Post]

GOP Candidate Goes Against Chamber-Supported Tax — Republican County Board candidate Matt Wavro and Green Party candidate Audrey Clement have both come out against a 12.5 cent per $100 commercial property tax surcharge levied by Arlington County. The surcharge, which is used to fund transportation improvements, is supported by the Arlington Chamber of Commerce. [Sun Gazette]

Post Endorses Kaine — The Washington Post editorial board has endorsed Democrat Tim Kaine over Republican George Allen in the race for U.S. Senate in Virginia. [Washington Post]

Arlington Firefighters Selling T-Shirt for Breast Cancer

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County firefighters are selling a t-shirt in support of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

IAFF Local 2800, the local firefighters union, says members will be wearing the shirt while on duty this week. The shirts can be purchased online or at an Arlington fire station.

From a union spokesman:

“During the week of October 13-19, ACFD/L-2800 members will wear their member designed t-shirts on-duty as a way to raise awareness of breast cancer. The t-shirts will also be sold with the goal of raising as much money as possible to benefit breast cancer treatment and/or research. This year all proceeds will benefit the Sharon McGowan Breast Health Fund, a local non-profit right here in Arlington, that provides breast cancer screenings and other related services free of charge. The Sharon McGowan Breast Health Fund is developed and managed by the Arlington County Medical Society (ACMS). More information can be found at http://www.arlcoms.org/found.shtml. Shirts are available in Pink or Blue. Shirts are $15, and anyone wishing to purchase one can contact any fire station or any member of the ACFD or go to http://www.iaff2800.com/ to purchase from the online store.”

Fire Station Open House to Include Fire, K-9 Demos

By ARLnow.com

Among the eight fire station open houses in Arlington being held from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, the open house at Fire Station No. 6 may be the county’s most elaborate.

Located on the Arlington-Falls Church border at 555 N. Washington Street, the station’s open house will include a mock structure fire demonstration, an auto extraction demonstration and a K-9 demonstration.

From a press release:

The Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department (FCVFD) and the Arlington County Fire Department (ACFD) will co-host its annual Fire Prevention Week open house on Sat, Oct. 13, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. All activities will take place at Fire Station No. 6, located at 555 North Washington Street (VA Route 29) on the Arlington-Falls Church border.

This is the Department’s largest public education and fire prevention event of the year, focused on providing the citizens of the community with important safety information. Hundreds of citizens, including many local families, attend the event yearly to learn about the department’s operations, training, and equipment, as well as to learn how to take steps to prevent fires and other hazards.

A silent auction with donated items from local businesses will be held during the open house. Proceeds of the silent auction will go towards training and equipment for FCVFD personnel.

Fire Prevention Week is an American tradition inspired by the Great Chicago Fire, which occurred during the second week of October in 1871. Each year, the National Fire Protection Association and its members promote a special fire safety message. This year’s theme is “Have 2 Ways Out!”

Several activities are planned which will include both FCVFD and ACFD personnel:

  • Station Tours
  • EMS Demos (Advanced and Basic Life Support)
  • Engine/Truck/Aerial Demo
  • Mock Structure Fire Demo
  • Auto Extrication Demo
  • K-9 Demo

(more…)

Car Flips on Roof Near Patrick Henry Elementary

By ARLnow.com

A car flipped on its roof after running into a parked car across from Patrick Henry Elementary School today.

The accident happened just past noon near the intersection of 7th Street S. and Garfield Street. A silver Mazda driven by a female driver apparently ran into the back of a car that was parked on the side of the street. The collision caused the Mazda to flip on its roof.

Firefighters responded with heavy rescue equipment to pull the trapped driver from the overturned car. She was placed on a stretcher and transported to a local hospital via ambulance for what were reported to be minor injuries. Nobody else was in the two cars at the time of the accident.

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Minor Gas Explosion at Whitlow’s

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 10:05 a.m.) A small gas explosion injured a repair person at Whitlow’s (2854 Wilson Blvd) in Clarendon last night.

The incident happened around 6:00 p.m. A repair person was working on a stove at the restaurant when some gas that had built up in the stove ignited, according to Arlington County Fire Department spokesman Capt. Gregg Karl.

The repair person was injured by broken glass, Karl said. The injuries were non-life-threatening.

On Twitter, the restaurant said it “had to close for 20 minutes” after a “small incident with our oven.” No additional information about the incident or the victim is available at this time.

Photo courtesy Mark Alves. Hat tip to David Johnson.

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