fire

H-B Woodlawn Evacuated After Small Fire in Science Lab

By Chris Teale

H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program students were evacuated earlier today (Thursday) after a small fire in a science lab.

The Arlington County Fire Department responded to the school at 4100 Vacation Lane just after 12 p.m. An Arlington Public Schools spokesman said some paper caught on fire during an experiment in the lab.

The fire was quickly put out by the teacher before firefighters arrived, with students evacuated as a precaution. A fire department spokesman said firefighters monitored the air and checked for hazards, but no issues were found. The smoke cleared naturally, the spokesman said.

There were no injuries and there was only minor damage to the equipment being used. Students returned to classes soon after.

Courtesy photo

ACFD to Mark Fire Prevention Week With Station Open Houses

By Chris Teale

(Updated at 5:10 p.m.) The Arlington County Fire Department is celebrating Fire Prevention Week with its second department-wide open house this Saturday (October 14).

All 10 county fire stations will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and have activities and information on fire safety. Visitors can also climb the trucks, tour the stations and meet crews on duty.

For Fire Prevention Week, which began on Monday, ACFD had the slogan “Every Second Counts: Plan 2 Ways Out!” to remind residents to plan a quick escape after their smoke alarm sounds. (Incidentally earlier this week a man nearly died in a house fire in Ashton Heights.)

ACFD had the following advice for homeowners to stay safe in a fire.

  • “Draw a map of your home with all members of your household, marking two exits from each room and a path to the outside from each exit.”
  • “Practice your home fire drill twice a year. Conduct one at night and one during the day with everyone in your home and practice using different ways out.”
  • “Teach children how to escape on their own in case you can’t help them.”
  • “Make sure the number of your home is clearly marked on the outside and easy for the fire department to find.”
  • “Close doors behind you as you leave to slow the spread of smoke, heat and flames.”
  • “Once you get outside, stay outside. Never go back inside a burning building.”

One Critical After Ashton Heights Fire

By ARLnow.com
1/6

One person is in critical condition after a house fire in Ashton Heights early this morning.

The fire broke out around 1 a.m. on the 500 block of N. Ivy Street. By the time firefighters arrived, the front of the house was already fully engulfed in flames.

Two men who lived in the house made it out safely. A third man was “quickly located and rescued” and transported “to a burn center in critical condition,” according to the Arlington County Fire Department.

No firefighters were injured. The cause of the blaze is now under investigation.

Patio Fire Scorches Freddie’s in Crystal City

By ARLnow.com
1/3

A cigarette reportedly sparked a fire that has closed the patio at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Crystal City.

The fire was reported last night around 10:30 p.m. The fire department quickly arrived on scene and extinguished the flames, which scorched parts of the patio and its awning, owner Freddie Lutz told ARLnow.com.

Patrons were evacuated during the fire and no injuries were reported.

The bar, located at 555 23rd Street S., expects to open as usual at 4 p.m. today, though the patio will remain closed indefinitely, pending repairs, Lutz said.

ACFD Responds to Apartment Fire in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com

Firefighters extinguished a fire inside an apartment in Rosslyn around lunchtime today.

The fire broke out at the Oakwood apartments on the 1500 block of Clarendon Blvd, video released by the Arlington County Fire Department shows. Arriving units found a “small fire in [the] kitchen area” and extinguished it, ACFD said.

County fire marshals are investigating the cause of the blaze.

Police helped to direct traffic during the incident as Clarendon Blvd was blocked by the emergency response.

ACFD Assists on Route 7 SunTrust Bank Fire

By Chris Teale
1/5

The Arlington County Fire Department helped out on a structure fire call at the SunTrust Bank in Seven Corners this morning.

ACFD sent units to the bank at 6300 Leesburg Pike around 11 a.m. to assist Fairfax County Fire & Rescue with the reported electrical fire. The bank is near Route 7’s intersection with Arlington Blvd and close to the Eden Center.

Firefighters arrived on scene and saw smoke at the back of the building. A small electrical panel caught fire, and crews determined it had not spread, according to Fairfax County authorities.

Firefighters ventilated the building to remove lingering smoke on two floors. No injuries were reported.

Photos 1-3 by Sinti Asmare. Photos No. 4 and No. 5 via Google Maps.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Man Struck By Car Near Ballston Metro — A man was struck by a vehicle on Fairfax Drive near the Ballston Metro station yesterday. The incident happened between 5-5:30 p.m. Numerous witnesses immediately called 911 or rushed to the man’s aid. His injuries were reported to be not life threatening. [Twitter, Twitter]

Driverless Car Research Is Legal in Va. — Virginia law does not explicitly ban the kind of “driverless” car research conducted by Virginia Tech on the streets of Clarendon and Courthouse. While the Virginia Tech van was driven by a man in a seat costume, it is also legal to test legitimately self-driving cars in the Commonwealth. [NBC Washington]

Video: Weekend Apartment Fire — The Arlington County Fire Department has posted video of the apartment fire on Columbia Pike over the weekend. A 27-year-old man was arrested and now faces numerous charges in connection with the blaze. [Facebook]

Courthouse-Based Nonprofit Up For National Award – The Organization for Autism Research is one of 15 finalists in the country for a $50,000 prize that recognizes “innovative ideas for engaging people over 50 in improving the lives of vulnerable children and youth.” OAR, based in Courthouse, launched its Hire Autism initiative earlier this year, an online portal to connect adults with autism seeking work and potential employers. Online voting is open through August 31. [Hire Autism]

Nearby: McLean Residents Want New Potomac Span — Civic leaders in McLean are pressuring officials to expedite a new American Legion Bridge span across the Potomac River. The existing bridge is clogged with Beltway traffic, sending congestion onto local streets, residents say. There is an existing proposal to extend Beltway High Occupancy Toll lanes between the Legion bridge and the I-270 spur in Maryland. [InsideNova]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Man Charged in Pike Apartment Fire — A 27-year-old Arlington man has been charged in connection with Saturday’s apartment fire on Columbia Pike. Police say Demetrius Antonio Taylor got in a verbal dispute with a woman, assaulted her, lit a carpeted floor mat on fire, pushed an infant in a stroller towards the fire and fled the scene. He faces a litany of charges including arson, felony child endangerment and two counts of assault on law enforcement, after becoming combative in a police department interview room. [Arlington County]

Man Dies in Motorcycle Wreck Following Pursuit — A Woodbridge man died early Sunday morning after crashing his motorcycle while being pursued by Virginia State Police. The pursuit started after a “BOLO” broadcast for a motorcycle seen traveling at a high rate of speed on I-395 in Arlington County. [Potomac Local, WTOP]

ACFD Battles Falls Church Blaze — Firefighters from Arlington County and Fairfax County battled a house fire on Railroad Avenue in the City of Falls Church early Sunday morning. The homeowners were displaced by the fire, which was “mostly confined to the basement.” ACFD provides firefighting services to Falls Church under contract. [Falls Church News-Press]

Northam, Perriello to Mingle With Arlington Dems — Ralph Northam, the Democratic candidate for governor, will be the featured guest at an Arlington County Democratic Committee happy hour on Wednesday, Aug. 23 at Pamplona in Clarendon. Tom Perriello, who lost in the gubernatorial primary to Northam, will be featured at the annual ACDC Labor Day Chili Cookoff at the Lyon Park Community Center on Monday, Sept. 4. [InsideNova, InsideNova]

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

ACFD Battles Apartment Fire on Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com

Firefighters from Arlington and surrounding jurisdictions battled an apartment fire on Columbia Pike Saturday morning.

The fire was first reported around 11:20 a.m. at the 280-unit Serrano apartment complex on the 5500 block of Columbia Pike. Flames could be seen coming from the top floor of the eight-story building.

The fire was extinguished within 20 minutes. Residents of 25 units were displaced by the fire and one person was hospitalized for smoke inhalation, WJLA reported.

Columbia Pike was temporarily closed during the firefighting effort, according to an Arlington Alert.

The apartment building is run by Arlington-based nonprofit affordable housing developer AHC Inc.

Car Catches Fire on N. Quintana Street

By Chris Teale
1/3

A car caught fire on N. Quintana Street in Madison Manor just after noon Wednesday (August 2).

The fire began under the hood of a black Honda parked on the street around 12:15 p.m. According to scanner traffic, flames were visible for a short time. Firefighters from Fairfax County Fire & Rescue quickly handled the blaze, a job perhaps made easier by a fire hydrant being located just feet away from the car.

A firefighter on scene had no information about why the fire started, and said it was “just one of those things.” There were no injuries, and the firefighters left the scene around 12:45 p.m. The car’s owner stood nearby talking on his telephone once the flames were doused.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

ACPD Says It Follows the Constitution — In a public statement of values, the Arlington County Police Department said yesterday that it “has always adhered to the Constitution and is committed to safeguarding the rights of all individuals.” The department continued: “We faithfully, and without bias, honor our obligations to the community and will continue to provide professional law enforcement services in accordance with our core values.” [Facebook]

Bistro 1521 Now Open — Filipino restaurant Bistro 1521 reportedly opened last night. The 7,000 square foot eatery is located in the former Applebee’s space at 900 N. Glebe Road in Ballston. [Washington City Paper]

District Taco Opening in Pa. — District Taco, which started as a tiny food cart in Arlington, is continuing to expand. DT is planning to open a location in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, its first restaurant outside of D.C., Maryland and Virginia. [Twitter]

Fmr. Arlington Resident Sexually Enslaved Housekeeper — A former American diplomat, who reportedly used to live in Arlington, “has for the second time been found liable for enslaving and sexually trafficking a housekeeper while posted at the U.S. Embassy in Yemen.” [Washington Post]

ACFCU Branch Closed After Fire — The N. Glebe Road branch of Arlington Community Federal Credit Union is closed after a fire yesterday evening. “Thx for understanding as we work 2 make sure bldg is safe,” the credit union said via social media. [Twitter]

ACFD Battles Fire in Bailey’s Crossroads — The Arlington County Fire Department has had a busy couple of days. The department battled at least three fires yesterday afternoon and also, on Saturday, assisted on a blaze in an empty apartment at a three-story complex on Oakview Gardens Drive in Bailey’s Crossroads. Five people were displaced and $20,000 in damage was caused, but no injuries were reported. [Falls Church News-Press]

Photo courtesy Curtis Prathers 

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