Blown up Little Free Library in Arlington Forest (photo courtesy Michael Thomas)
A Little Free Library was blown up in the Arlington Forest neighborhood overnight.
The explosion happened shortly after midnight on the 100 block of N. Columbus Street, near the intersection with the Arlington Blvd service road.
“When crews arrived, they found a small outside fire as well as a damaged privately owned outdoor book collection box,” Arlington County Fire Department spokesman Capt. Nate Hiner. “A Fire Marshal was requested to the scene to investigate.”
The suspect or suspects remain at large.
“The incident remains an open investigation and anyone with information pertaining to this incident is encouraged to reach out by emailing [email protected] or calling the Arlington County Police Department’s Tip Line at 703-228-4180,” Hiner said.
A resident tells ARLnow that at least one person who lived nearby ran to help control the fire.
“A neighbor went out with a fire extinguisher to control the resulting fire,” said Michael Thomas. “The Fire Department arrived shortly after to take over and ensure that the fire did not spread to [Lubber Run Park], which could have easily happened with the forest bed and understudy being so dry.”
“The explosion was followed by several others nearby,” including one that blew up another wooden fixture near the Lubber Run amphitheater, Thomas said.
Wooden fixture destroyed at the Lubber Run amphitheater (photo courtesy Michael Thomas)
Hiner said the fire department was not aware of additional explosions.
A message sent to a neighborhood listserv suggested that the Little Free Library explosion might have been caused by “a modified firework or mortar.”
Update at 4 p.m. — Fire Marshals and Virginia State Police are now on the scene of the apparent explosion at Lubber Run amphitheater, according to Thomas.
Update on 11/10/22 — The FBI and the ATF is also assisting with the investigation, the Arlington County Fire Department said in a press release.
Investigators on scene at the Lubber Run amphitheater (photo courtesy Michael Thomas)
Advanced Towing truck parked in front of a fire hydrant near N. Quincy Street (photo courtesy of Matthew Young/@matthewyoung31)
Citing an “ongoing issue,” Arlington County has ticketed Advanced Towing multiple times in recent weeks for blocking “the most famous fire hydrant in Arlington County.”
Trucks from the Ballston-based towing company have received multiple tickets, including one as recently as last week, for parking and blocking a fire hydrant near the corner of 5th Road N. and N. Quincy Street, a county official has confirmed to ARLnow. They were not able to provide the exact number of tickets, however.
That particular hydrant, dubbed “the most famous fire hydrant in Arlington County” by former local news reporter Dave Statter, is in the alleyway next to the company’s lot. A Twitter account is devoted to documenting illegal parking in front of the hydrant.
The county says that they have “received social media complaints and emails from an anonymous account holder” about the issue.
On Saturday afternoon, the fire marshal was sent to talk with Advanced Towing about the “ongoing issue,” per scanner audio posted on social media by Statter.
The result of the ensuing conversation between the fire marshal and Advanced Towing appears to have rectified the problem for now. A spokesperson for Advanced Towing tells ARLnow via email that they’ve stopped parking in front of that hydrant.
However, the company also argued that the fire hydrant is inactive, on their property, and other cars are parking illegally in the alleyway but are not being ticketed.
“I feel the tow trucks are the only ones with attention, tickets and complaints when the entire area is constantly full of illegally parked vehicles because there’s is no parking,” the spokesperson said, while also providing photos of supposedly illegally parked cars. “No tickets have been issued.”
County spokesperson Ben Aiken did confirm that the specific hydrant is “redundant for fire purposes” with another hydrant only a few feet away, but did say it is operational and maintained “for other reasons as part of the water system.” There are also no plans to remove it.
The issue of Advanced Towing trucks parking in front of that particular hydrant apparently has been ongoing since at least 2017 per Twitter user Advanced Towing Fire Hydrant.
— Advanced Towing Fire Hydrant (@AdvTowHydrant) November 3, 2022
While the company says the hydrant is on their property, the county noted that doesn’t give Advanced Towing — or any property owner — the right to park in front of a hydrant.
“The hydrant is located within 5th Rd. North right-of-way and parking is restricted within 15 feet of a fire hydrant,” Aiken wrote in an email.
Advanced Towing also complained about the lack of parking in the area, leaving their trucks often struggling to find spots near their lot, where vehicles towed for trespassing on private property are stored (and scene of a famous incident involving a television personality).
The company cited the move from free street parking to metered spots as well as the presence of the county-owned Mosaic Park as two main reasons for why parking is hard to come by in that corridor.
“This causes huge congestion on 5th Road and surrounding areas, therefore cars are parked illegally all day long. We will also be reporting every illegally parked vehicle we see,” they said via email. “This morning alone, there were 6 at one time, and not one was ticketed.”
Smoke from the shed fire in Green Valley (photo courtesy anonymous)
(Updated at 4:10 p.m.) A shed next to a house caught fire and filled a portion of the Green Valley neighborhood with smoke this afternoon.
The blaze prompted a large fire department response to the 2400 block of S. Oakland Street but firefighters later determined that the flames had not spread to the house, according to scanner traffic. The fire has since been extinguished.
Despite the main house not catching on fire, the blaze has displaced seven residents, according to the Arlington County Fire Department. One person was taken to a local hospital in stable condition, ACFD said.
Today at approx. 2:52pm units responded to the 2400 BLK of S. Oakland St. Crews found fire in a detached structure that was quickly extinguished. 7 individuals have been displaced from the main structure. 1 resident transported to an area hospital in stable condition. pic.twitter.com/kB5ncJIfOi
LOCATION: 2400-blk S. Oakland St./24th St. S INCIDENT: Fire Department Activity IMPACT: The roadway in the area of the 2400-blk of S. Oakland St. at 24th St. S is currently closed. Keep clear of the area. pic.twitter.com/cqGBH6TuuG
Currently sounding like this is a detached shed that caught on fire, but expect a large fire department response on scene, in the Green Valley neighborhood https://t.co/qa9OYWsoSq
Fire response at Mt. Olivet Methodist Church (photo via ACFD)
Mt. Olivet Methodist Church suffered about $1 million in damage as a result of an early morning fire on Friday.
That’s according to the Arlington County Fire Department, which also said in a press release today (Monday) that the cause of the fire in the church’s attic “remains undetermined.”
From ACFD:
At approximately 2:42 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022, the Arlington County Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire in the 1500 block of N. Glebe Road.
Units quickly arrived on the scene and found fire through the roof of the structure. Due to significant smoke conditions and amount of work required to extinguish the fire, a second alarm was quickly requested bringing additional firefighters to the scene. The fire was extinguished within 30 minutes of dispatch time, and firefighters then worked carefully to remove material from the area of origin to fully check for hot spots or any fire extension.
Units from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, Alexandria Fire Department, and Joint Base Myer – Henderson Hall Fire Department assisted on this incident.
The Arlington County Fire Prevention Office conducted a thorough origin and cause investigation and concluded that the fire started in the attic space; currently the cause remains undetermined. Initial estimated damages are $1,000,000.
Located at 1500 N. Glebe Road, just north of Ballston, Mt. Olivet is built on the oldest church site in continuous use in Arlington.
There’s no word yet on when services inside the church might resume. Mt. Olivet’s pastor said the sanctuary and preschool wings of the church were not damaged, though the music and education wing likely has “extensive smoke and water damage.”
The church held an outdoor worship service on Sunday, as covered by NBC 4.
Fire response at Mt. Olivet Methodist Church (photo via ACFD)
Mt. Olivet Methodist Church (photo via Google Maps)
Mt. Olivet Methodist Church history sign
There was a fire early this morning at Mt. Olivet Methodist Church, the oldest church site in continuous use in Arlington.
The fire broke out at the church, located at 1500 N. Glebe Road near Ballston, before 3 a.m. and prompted a two-alarm response. Flames could be seen coming from the roof of the building, according to scanner traffic.
“The fire began in the attic above the music and education wing. Thankfully no one was in the building and there are no injuries,” the church said in an update posted by its pastor this morning. “There is likely extensive smoke and water damage to that part of the building. The sanctuary and preschool wings were not harmed.”
Sunday morning worship will not be held in the building but the church says it is working on an alternate plan.
The Arlington County Fire Department is currently investigating the cause of the blaze, which was extinguished by firefighters before it could spread to other parts of the building.
2-ALARM CHURCH FIRE (2:43 a.m.)— Mount Olivet United Methodist Church, 1500 North Glebe Rd in Arlington Co. Fire showing from roof. Firefighters are getting at the fire now. @ARLnowDOTcompic.twitter.com/XH8AXB8NyG
#UPDATE – Crews are in the process of removing debris from the structure and our Fire Prevention Office remains on scene to conduct their cause and origin investigation. No injuries to civilians or firefighters.
You have likely heard the news of a fire at Mount Olivet early this morning, Friday, October 14.
The fire began in the attic above the music and education wing. Thankfully no one was in the building and there are no injuries.
Thanks to many fire fighters and first responders from Arlington, Fairfax, and Falls Church, the fire has been extinguished.
There is likely extensive smoke and water damage to that part of the building. The sanctuary and preschool wings were not harmed.
Due to the ongoing nature of this situation, we will not be able to hold worship in our building this Sunday morning. Once we know what our plan will be for Sunday morning worship and beyond, we will let you know!
Currently, the building is not secure and the fire investigation is on going. Please do not enter the building until further notice.
We are beyond grateful that no one was injured and this was no worse than it is, but we still ask that you be in prayer for our community, clergy, and staff as we navigate the following days and weeks.
A historic photo of an ACFD engine using the same style logo that is being used now (courtesy ACFD)
A fire truck leaves Station 2 on Wilson Blvd. (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Fire engine with the current logo design (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The Arlington County Fire Department is reviving a door logo last seen on county vehicles more than 50 years ago.
At the same time, the department is gradually upgrading its vehicles with new features, including a better ride quality on its engines. That’s according to Arlington fire department spokesman Capt. Nate Hiner, who told ARLnow that the department’s apparatus committee opted for a 1968-70 throwback design over the existing “old English style door logo.”
Beyond the visual changes, department members will have more space thanks to new cabs and chassis (the part of the vehicle including the frame, engine, transmission and other important pieces) from fire apparatus maker Pierce Manufacturing.
On top of that, air-ride suspensions in the rear of units will replace spring suspensions and provide “better ride quality on our urban streets,” Hiner wrote in an email.
Not only will air-ride suspension enable better rides, but it will also help the department streamline suspension-related repairs. The county will no longer have to send units to remote repair facilities for these fixes, which will reduce the time units are out of service, Hiner said.
So far, four units have received the new features.
“As we continue through our replacement cycle in future fiscal years this number will increase,” Hiner wrote.
Just one eagle-eyed tweeter called out new door graphics after ACFD asked users whether they could spot anything different about an engine pictured in a Sept. 14 tweet.
Ireland’s Four Courts on fire and an injured person being helped after a vehicle crashed into the pub (photo courtesy Craig Smith)
Damage inside Ireland’s Four Courts as of 9/15/22 (staff photo)
Damage inside Ireland’s Four Courts as of 9/15/22 (staff photo)
Ireland’s Four Courts boarded up on 9/15/22 (staff photo)
Damage inside Ireland’s Four Courts as of 9/15/22 (staff photo)
Damage inside Ireland’s Four Courts as of 9/15/22 (staff photo)
Ireland’s Four Courts on fire and an injured person being helped after a vehicle reportedly crashed into it (photo courtesy Craig Smith)
Immediate aftermath of the crash at Ireland’s Four Courts, before the fire spread (photo via Alan Henney)
The car that crashed into Ireland’s Four Courts is taken away on a flatbed tow truck (photo courtesy Dave Cahill)
Damage inside Ireland’s Four Courts from crash and fire (photo courtesy Dave Cahill)
(Updated at 2:40 p.m.) The rideshare driver who crashed into Ireland’s Four Courts in Courthouse last month likely experienced “a medical emergency” before driving into the building, police say.
This preliminary explanation comes after Arlington County police previously ruled out drunk driving as well as malicious intent.
The crash set fire to the popular pub, situated next to the “T” intersection of N. Courthouse Road and Wilson Blvd, during a local company’s happy hour event. It triggered a large emergency response and road closures as people fled the fiery scene. More than a dozen people were hurt.
Police said today that all three pub-goers who were hospitalized with serious, potentially life-threatening injuries have now been released — a little over a month after they were admitted. One patient was still in critical condition and two others were in stable condition within a week of the crash.
The seriously injured people are expected to undergo a rehabilitation process as they continue to recover, we’re told.
In all, 15 people were injured, including nine brought to local hospitals. Of them, three were Four Courts employees hospitalized for less serious injuries, including smoke inhalation.
Four Courts Managing Partner Dave Cahill told ARLnow that the patrons who were seriously injured may not have survived but for other quick-thinking fellow pub-goers, including a volunteer firefighter, as well as first responders who arrived on scene just moments after the crash.
“Our thoughts and prayers have been with them for this whole time,” Cahill said of the victims. “They’re regulars who come in here all the time… we’re happy that they’ve started the next stage of recovery.”
Building inspectors determined that Four Courts is structurally sound but not fit for occupancy due to the extensive damage.
The pub is planning to rebuild, funded in part by a now-closed GoFundMe campaign that blew well past its $50,000 goal, raising just over $95,000. Tonight, fellow Arlington Irish pub Samuel Beckett’s (2800 S. Randolph Street) is hosting a fundraiser and silent auction for Four Courts staff.
Cahill told ARLnow today that insurance and other matters are still being worked out before construction can begin that would allow at least part of the pub to reopen. If demolition starts soon, he said, the best case scenario would be reopening in late spring or early summer of 2023.
When the doors swing back open, he wants customers to feel like nothing has changed, and for regulars to request the same TV channels and sit in the same seats they’ve sat in for years.
“We’re going to work and recreate Four Courts as close back to the original as possible,” he said. “We don’t want people to walk in here and think they’re in a different place. Things will be updated, obviously, but we want people to feel at home in the Four Courts.”
The only thing that many repeat customers would miss would be their personal mugs. Four Courts had a mug club with more than 1,475 mugs people purchased; added their names, football team logos and family crests to; and drank from whenever they came in.
“We lost a lot of mugs,” he said. “When the fire came, it melted the mug and left the handle. We’re sad about that. That was a big part of the brand.”
Major backup after GW Parkway blocked by crash (via Google Maps)
The northbound lanes of the GW Parkway were Friday afternoon blocked after reports of a “major” crash near the second scenic overlook.
The Arlington County Fire Department is among those that responded to the crash, south of Chain Bridge in Arlington. So far there’s no word on injuries nor the exact nature of the crash.
Northbound traffic was diverted onto Spout Run Parkway, but a significant number of drivers may have gotten stuck in the backup after Spout Run.
Drivers on the southbound GW Parkway were also seeing delays near the crash scene due to the emergency response.
Update at 1:50 p.m. — All lanes have reopened, according to U.S. Park Police.
Traffic Update: All lane closures on the GWMP have reopened.
Carbon monoxide incident at Starbucks (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Carbon monoxide incident at Starbucks (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Carbon monoxide incident at Starbucks (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Carbon monoxide incident at Starbucks (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Carbon monoxide incident at Starbucks (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Carbon monoxide incident at Starbucks (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
You’ll have to walk an extra block to get your pumpkin spice fix in Rosslyn this afternoon.
The standalone Starbucks store on N. Oak Street has been evacuated after reports of elevated carbon monoxide levels in the building. Firefighters are working to determine the source of the apparent leak and Washington Gas crews are on the way to the scene.
So far there have no reports of significant illness as a result of the CO leak.
Drivers should expect some slowdowns in the area due to fire department activity, though that should start thinning out soon. Police blocked a portion of N. Oak Street during the investigation.
For those on the hunt for pumpkin-flavored coffee and baked goods on this first day of September, there’s good news: another Starbucks is located across the street in the Safeway grocery store.
Firefighters are currently working to ventilate the building, which is technically located at 1501 17th Street N.
Ireland’s Four Courts on fire and an injured person being helped after a vehicle crashed into the pub (photo courtesy Craig Smith)
Immediate aftermath of the crash at Ireland’s Four Courts, before the fire spread (photo via Alan Henney)
Ireland’s Four Courts on fire and an injured person being helped after a vehicle crashed into the pub (photo courtesy Craig Smith)
Ireland’s Four Courts on fire and an injured person being helped after a vehicle crashed into the pub (photo courtesy Craig Smith)
Fire engulfs Ireland’s Four Courts after crash (photo courtesy Craig Smith)
Damage inside Ireland’s Four Courts from crash and fire (photo courtesy Dave Cahill)
Damage inside Ireland’s Four Courts from crash and fire (photo courtesy Dave Cahill)
Damage inside Ireland’s Four Courts from crash and fire (photo courtesy Dave Cahill)
Damage inside Ireland’s Four Courts from crash and fire (photo courtesy Dave Cahill)
The car that crashed into Ireland’s Four Courts is taken away on a flatbed tow truck (photo courtesy Dave Cahill)
The four people reported to be seriously injured when a car plowed into Ireland’s Four Courts last night may not have survived but for the quick actions of fellow pub-goers and first responders.
That’s according to Dave Cahill, long-time manager of the Courthouse fixture, which remains closed after last night’s crash and fire.
At last check, the four critically injured people were still hospitalized, but the hope is all four will pull through, we’re told. Cahill tells ARLnow that all three Four Courts employees who were injured and brought to the hospital have since been released.
The crash happened around 6:45 p.m. Friday, as people were gathered near the front of the pub for a local company’s happy hour event.
A gray Toyota Camry — ARLnow has heard from multiple sources that it was being operated as a rideshare vehicle — reportedly came speeding up N. Courthouse Road and drove through the “T” intersection, slamming directly into the pub. It was nearly 20 feet inside the business, Cahill said, and started to catch fire almost immediately.
Quick-thinking customers sprang into action, coming from the back of the restaurant to the smoldering wreckage to help severely injured customers, the driver, and at least one passenger of the car, who was also hurt. Photos taken as fire started to engulf the car and the pub show several people carrying one man — who can be seen in a photo taken seconds earlier slumped over in front of the car — to safety outside.
Police and firefighters arrived on scene as employees and customers were still trying to flee the pub. Photos and a TikTok video show police officers running into Four Courts as smoke billowed out. In frantic police radio transmissions, first arriving officers requested “a lot of ambulances” and reported “a lot of people” still inside the restaurant as fire spread.
“It’s an image I’ll never forget,” said Cahill.
Without customers risking their own safety to save the injured, and without the lightning-fast response of police and medics — ACPD headquarters is a couple of blocks from Four Courts and a fire station is a short distance down Wilson Blvd — “it could have been a lot worse,” he said.
Also helping: the pub was significantly less crowded than usual for a Friday, a server told NBC 4.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who was hurt,” said Cahill. Asked about when the pub might reopen, Cahill said “we’re not thinking about it right now.”
Building inspectors determined that Four Courts is structurally sound but not fit for occupancy due to the extensive damage. Photos of the interior from this morning, shared with ARLnow, show a vast swath of charred flooring, fixtures and ceiling near the front of the pub.
The car, meanwhile, was removed from inside and hauled away on a flatbed tow truck early this morning. Video shows heavy front-end damage from the collision.
Cahill said management will start to assess repairs and future plans next week, but noted that the kitchen and the newer rear of the pub is largely intact. The current hope is that insurance will help to pay employees and keep them on staff.
A GoFundMe page, which Cahill says was set up by a regular customer, will also help. As of publication it has raised more than $7,500 of a $50,000 goal.
A total of 14 people were injured, including eight who were brought to local hospitals, police and fire officials said last night. There’s still no word on what led to the crash.
Update at 4 p.m. — The Arlington County police and fire departments just issued the following joint statement. Two of the victims remain in critical condition, the statement says, while the other two seriously injured people have been stabilized.
The outdoor temporary tents at SER in Ballston in 2021 (image via Google Maps)
Arlington is returning to the pre-pandemic process for restaurants to apply for outdoor tents, a move that has left at least a couple of local restaurants unhappy.
For the last two years, the county has made an effort to streamline the application process for outdoor tents as part of helping restaurants set up temporary outdoor seating areas, or TOSAs.
Back in December, however, the process for applying for outdoor tents was separated from the TOSA process, which was recently extended to February 2023. Arlington, meanwhile, is letting its Covid state of emergency expire on Aug. 15.
“The application process is returning to the pre-pandemic process that has always been in place. The process for tents was streamlined to help businesses during the pandemic,” County spokesperson Jessica Baxter tells ARLnow. “As they were before the pandemic, applications for tents must be submitted via the temporary structure/tent here. The guidelines for tents remain the same and have not changed.”
Those guidelines are enforced by the Arlington County Fire Department and fire marshall. Among the rules: a tent cannot be larger than 900 square feet and there needs to be a separate permit and inspections for gas heaters.
There is also a limitation on how long an outdoor temporary tent can be up: only six months (180 days) out of the year. What’s more, a business can’t apply for another permit to put up another tent until a six-month period has lapsed since the last tent was taken down.
These rules exist, said Baxter, because of the statewide fire code and there’s not much the county can do.
“The six-month temporary tent allowance is part of the Virginia Statewide Fire Code, which the County is required to follow. If an applicant wishes to make the tent more permanent, they can apply for a building permit and enter that process,” she wrote. “At this time, no tents should be up, with the exception of restaurants that received a building permit and single, pop-up tents smaller than 120 square feet.”
Of course, the fire code seems to be in conflict with the desire of many to dine outdoors, while being protected from the elements. With the state health department still reporting more than 100 Covid infections per day in Arlington, eating outside is widely viewed as a less risky alternative to indoor dining.
Baxter said the county is “actively working to create longer-term solutions that offer permanent outdoor dining options,” but temporary outdoor tents are not part of that effort because of the restrictions laid out in the fire code.
With most of the outdoor tents coming down in December, many businesses could have started reapplying for outdoor tents for the upcoming fall and winter season in June.
But reverting to a pre-pandemic process and guidelines has left a couple of restaurants that talked with ARLnow confused, frustrated, and at a loss on how to explain this to customers.
One is Medium Rare, the local steak restaurant with locations in Maryland, D.C., and one in Arlington’s Virginia Square neighborhood.
In the previous pandemic years, the restaurant did have an outdoor tent for diners, but Medium Rare had to take it down this past December, said owner Mark Bucher.
The outdoor temporary tents at Medium Rare in Virginia Square in 2021 (image via Google Maps)
He told ARLnow that compared to other local jurisdictions, Arlington’s TOSA process, as well as the one to apply for outdoor tents, is “complicated and cumbersome.”
Bucher also wondered what the logic was behind the directive that a restaurant a tent had to come down after six months.
“Arlington has always been so restaurant-friendly, so this goes against everything,” he said. “Why put up a tent, take it down, and pay to put it back up again?”
As the weather turns cooler again, and as Covid and other respiratory diseases ramp up, customers are going to want to sit outside in a heated tent, he said. But Bucher worries that a number of restaurants are not going to go through the process to get a temporary tent again, and diners are going to take their business to other nearby jurisdictions.
For his part, Bucher said Medium Rare in Virginia Square will not be reapplying to put up an outdoor tent.
