fire department

Fire Truck Kitten Ready for Adoption

By Katie Pyzyk

Here’s your chance to give a semi-famous animal a good home. Axel, the kitten rescued from an Arlington County fire truck’s engine compartment last month, is ready to be adopted.

The Animal Welfare League of Arlington cleaned him up at their Shirlington shelter following the incident. He’s an orange tabby estimated to be about three months old, and has been neutered and vaccinated.

Axel has been hanging out in a foster home with some other kittens, but is now ready to find a permanent residence. Anyone interested in adopting Axel, or any other kitten, can check out the AWLA website for adoption procedures.

Christmas Tree Safety Tips from ACFD

By ARLnow.com

Now that December is here, the Arlington County Fire Department is asking residents to keep safety in mind when they trim the tree or string the lights.

Every year, an average of 240 Christmas tree-related home fires in the United States result in an average of 13 deaths and 27 injuries, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Those fires are usually caused by electrical problems, heat sources placed too close to the tree, decorative lights or candles.

ACFD released the following safety tips this afternoon.

Fire Safety and Your Tree

  • Keep the trunk of the tree immersed in water at all times.
  • Do not permit smoking near the tree.
  • Use flame retardant trim/decorations.
  • Use only lights that are UL approved.
  • Inspect lights for frayed or cracked wiring, broken plugs and defective sockets.
  • Unplug lights at night and when leaving home.
  • Do not over load circuits or outlets.
  • Do not run extension cords under carpets or across doorways.
  • Remove the tree soon after the holidays, before the needles dry out.
  • Check your smoke alarms; install new batteries if necessary.
  • Use caution if hanging lights outside; be aware of power lines and hazards while using a ladder.
  • Use caution with candles or open flame devices.

The Arlington County Fire Department wishes everybody a safe and happy holiday season.

Thanksgiving Cooking Safety Tips from ACFD

By ARLnow.com

The Arlington County Fire Department has issued a list of six simple tips for keeping safe while cooking your Thanksgiving dinner.

Spokesman Lt. Gregg Karl says these tips are in response to calls the department receives on a regular basis around this time of year.

Thanksgiving Cooking Safety Tips

  1. Be alert when cooking. Do not allow yourself to be distracted or walk away from food on the stove. Stove top fires can spread quickly to cabinets and areas surrounding the stove.
  2. Turn pot and pan handles inward so children and pets cannot pull these items from the stove.
  3. Wear clothing that has fitted or short sleeves. Loose fitting sleeves can contact hot surfaces and begin to burn.
  4. Use caution with open flame cooking devices. Follow manufacturer’s recommendations for use of the device. Check county and state fire codes for safe distances and areas the devices can be used.
  5. Have a UL (Underwriters Laboratories) listed fire extinguisher and be familiar with the operation of the extinguisher in the event of a fire.
  6. Be certain all smoke alarms are tested and functioning properly.

The Arlington County Fire Department wishes everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.

Firefighters Rescue Kitten

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County firefighters rescued an intrepid stray kitten over the weekend.

Firefighters were on a call at S. Greenbrier Street and 8th Road S., in the Columbia Heights West neighborhood, when an orange tabby kitten ran under their fire truck and into the truck’s engine compartment. The kitten was covered in grease by the time firefighters were able to free him, according to the Animal Welfare League of Arlington.

The curious kitty, named “Axel” by his rescuers, was brought to the League’s shelter in Shirlington, where he was cleaned up and given a physical exam and vaccinations.

On Monday, vets gave Axel the all-clear to go to a foster home for a couple of weeks until he’s big enough to be put up for adoption, according to the AWLA.

Photo courtesy the Animal Welfare League of Arlington

Gas Leak Reported at Wakefield High School

By ARLnow.com

Update at 11:10 a.m. — The leak has been traced to the construction site where the new Wakefield High School is being built. Students are expected to be let back into the school shortly.

The Arlington County Fire Department is investigating a possible gas leak inside Wakefield High School.

Firefighters are laying out fire hoses while they try to find the source of a gas-like odor in the school, which has been evacuated.

Police are also responding to the scene to assist with traffic control. Chesterfield Road is being blocked off in front of the school.

BREAKING NEWS — Ambulances Dispatched to Rosslyn Metro Station

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 7:35 p.m.) A massive emergency response converged on the Rosslyn Metro station around 6:30 tonight after medical emergencies related to overcrowded conditions were reported.

The station was packed with passengers after Orange Line trains were halted for a person struck by a train at the Clarendon Metro station. Firefighters at the station requested a mass casualty response when several people reportedly requested medical attention while trying to climb the station’s long escalators, which were all out of service. Firefighters and paramedics from Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax County and Ft. Myer were dispatched to the station, according to emergency radio traffic.

Paramedics reportedly treated at least one person suffering an asthma attack. It’s not clear how many others were treated. Crowds at the station have thinned out since Orange Line trains started running again, according to firefighters on the scene. Most of the emergency response has been put back in service.

Traffic in the Rosslyn area was reported to be at a standstill as emergency vehicles made their way to the station. Virginia State Police was dispatched to the area for a report of pedestrians crossing Route 50 between Rosslyn and Courthouse.

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Photos via Twitter users @jessicamdick and @soxinly

BREAKING NEWS — Person Hit By Train At Clarendon Metro Station

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 6:30 p.m.) A person has been hit by a train at the Clarendon Metro Station.

Emergency vehicles have surrounded the station, shutting down N. Highland Street and partially blocking Clarendon and Wilson Boulevards. Public access to the station has been cut off.

Technical rescue crews from the fire department and from Metro managed to free the victim, who was reported to be trapped under the train. The victim has been rushed to a local hospital via ambulance.

Riders on the striking train were not able to exit the train until 6:15 p.m., almost 75 minutes after the victim was struck. A woman who had a minor medical emergency while on the striking train was earlier taken to an ambulance via stretcher. The remaining passengers are now walking out of the station. Many are heading on foot to their destinations further up the Orange Line.

Firefighters were preparing to distribute water to those passengers at the end of the platform, according to riders. While the air in the trains was described as hot and stale, riders we spoke to said no one panicked.

“It was very cordial,” one man said.

Metro riders have reported significant delays throughout the Orange Line. Shuttle service has been requested between Rosslyn and Ballston, according to Metro. Very crowded conditions have been reported at the Rosslyn Metro station. Arlington County police have responded to the station to assist passengers, according to department spokeswoman Det. Crystal Nosal.

Arlington County says the Clarendon station may remain closed for “several hours.”

Update at 7:20 p.m. — Orange Line trains are now running on both tracks through the Clarendon Metro station, according to WMATA.

Update at 7:35 p.m. — Roads near the station have reopened.

Update at 8:25 p.m. — The following photos were taken shortly after emergency responders arrived at the station.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

First Day of Fall, Flash Flood Watch — Today is officially the first day of fall, but it’s not going to feel like it. A storm system bringing tropical moisture to the area will provide warm temperatures and heavy rains that may produce flash flooding. [Capital Weather Gang]

Reminder: DUI Checkpoint Tonight — As part of a national DUI crackdown, Arlington County Police will be conducting a sobriety checkpoint somewhere in the county tonight.

What If Arlington Was Part of D.C.? — The Washington City Paper wonders aloud: What would the District look like had Arlington and Alexandria not been retroceded back to Virginia? The move, which would place part of North Arlington in Northwest D.C. and the rest in Southwest D.C., would add 252,000 registered voters, 56 public and charter schools, and 44 Starbucks locations to the District. [Washington City Paper]

Fisette to Be Honored for HIV Outreach — County Board member Jay Fisette will be honored by the Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry as its 2011 Honoree at the organization’s Red Ribbon Gala next month. “NOVAM is proud to honor a well-known community leader who is a strong community advocate for HIV prevention and care for nearly 25 years,” the group said. [Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry]

ACFD Captain Retiring — Arlington County Fire Department Captain Ed Hannon is retiring after 28 years. As he was recounting his years of experience during a TV interview, Hannon’s colleagues decided to pull a prank: they sneaked up from behind and smeared his face with whipped cream as cameras rolled. [MyFoxDC]

BREAKING NEWS — House Fire on Glebe Road

By ARLnow.com

Update at 4:20 p.m. — Due to some miscommunication, police are apparently scrapping plans to open up one lane in each direction, and will only be opening the southbound lanes for now. They hope to reopen the northbound lanes of Glebe Road near the fire scene around 5:00 p.m.

Update at 3:55 p.m.— The fire is out and most emergency responders are clearing from the scene.

South Glebe Road is being shut down just east of Arlington Ridge Road due to a house fire.

Arlington and Alexandria firefighters are on the scene of the fire, on the 3200 block of S. Glebe Road. The lone occupant of the house reportedly made it out safely.

Drivers should expect significant traffic issues in the area.

One of the fire department units responding to the fire was involved in an accident at the intersection of S. Glebe Road and West Glebe Road.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

County Adding Historical Preservation Tools — In an effort to preserve historic buildings in Arlington, the county is considering some new policies to its “toolbox.” Among the possible new strategies: purchasing properties threatened with demolition, using a “transfer of development rights” to convince developers to preserve historic properties and further surveying residential property in the county to find and catalog more historic properties. [Sun Gazette]

Man With Terror Links Owned Arlington Condo — Esam Ghazzawi, a Saudi Arabian national whose Florida mansion was regularly visited by the 9/11 hijackers, also owned property in Arlington. In the mid-1990s, Ghazzawi owned the Penthouse condo in Rosslyn’s The Atrium building. [Washington Post]

Old ACFD Truck Lives on in S.C. — A retired ACFD fire truck that was among the first to respond to the Pentagon on 9/11 is still fighting fires in South Carolina. Quint 109 was retired from Arlington’s Station 9 in 2005, and was sold to the Anderson County, S.C. Fire Department. Although Anderson County repainted the truck, fire officials were careful to leave its “Operation Noble Eagle” sticker — indicating it was at the Pentagon on 9/11 — in tact. [Independent Mail]

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