fire

Fire Rips Through Glebe Road Paint Store

By ARLnow.com

A fire broke out at the Duron Paint store near the corner of Glebe Road and Lee Highway this morning.

The Arlington County Fire Department responded to the store around 6:30 a.m. after a passerby saw smoke and called 911. Firefighters had the bulk of the fire knocked within 10 minutes, according to department spokesperson Lt. Gregg Karl.

The paint store suffered “pretty significant damage” from the flames, while two adjacent businesses in the same shopping plaza — Papa John’s pizza and Cardinal Bank — suffered smoke damage. All three businesses are expected to remain closed at least through today, although it may take much longer for the paint store to reopen.

A hazardous materials team was called to the scene to assist with the cleanup inside the Duron store. The county fire marshal’s office is investigating the cause of the fire.

Photos courtesy Jamie N.

Fire Breaks Out at Lee Highway McDonald’s

By ARLnow.com

A fire broke out at the McDonald’s at 4834 Lee Highway Saturday morning.

The fire started in an electrical panel in the basement around 7:00 a.m. Customers and employees were evacuated as light smoke started to fill the restaurant.

Firefighters eventually were able to shut off the power to the building and get the flames under control.

An electrical inspector and a health inspector were called to the scene once the fire was extinguished.

Windy Weather Could Cause Fire Hazard

By ARLnow.com

The National Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Watch and a High Wind Watch for tomorrow. Today’s warm weather will give way to colder, windy weather tomorrow. Gusts could reach as high as 60 miles per hour, forecasters say.

HIGH WIND WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON HAS ISSUED A HIGH WIND WATCH…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING.

* TIMING…HIGH WINDS WILL BEGIN THIS EVENING…WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS BETWEEN 5 AM AND 7 PM.

* WINDS…GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE…ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE RIDGES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A HIGH WIND WATCH MEANS THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A HAZARDOUS HIGH WIND EVENT. SUSTAINED WINDS OF AT LEAST 40 MPH…OR GUSTS OF 58 MPH OR STRONGER MAY OCCUR. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

Together with low humidity, the high winds will produce weather favorable for the rapid spread of brush fires.

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Car Fire on Westbound I-66

By ARLnow.com

Update at 12:50 p.m. — All lanes have reopened.

Arlington firefighters are on the scene of a car fire on westbound I-66 near Westmoreland Street.

The fire appears to have been extinguished. One lane of traffic is currently getting by.

Major Delays on I-395 Due to Fire in D.C.

By ARLnow.com

The main lanes of I-395 are backed up in Virginia from the 14th Street Bridge to the Springfield interchange due to fire activity in the District.

A fire at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center prompted a large emergency response that shut down 14th Street between Constitution Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue. The fire, which originated in the building’s kitchen and spread through the ductwork, is now under control. Fire equipment has been clearing the scene and 14th Street will likely reopen soon — but that’s little solace to the thousands currently crawling along on I-395.

The good news, if any, is that the HOV lanes are clear until just past the Pentagon.

BREAKING NEWS — Gas-Fed Fire in Clarendon Neighborhood

By ARLnow.com

Update at 3:22 p.m. — The gas has been shut off the fire is out. Residents in the area can expect to be without natural gas for some time. Earlier:

A gas-fed fire is burning near the intersection of 12th Street and North Cleveland Street in Clarendon. Washington Gas has brought in heavy equipment in an effort to shut off the gas that’s fueling the flames.

The fire was apparently sparked after construction workers who were installing streetlights ruptured a gas line. Eight-foot high flames have been shooting up from the sidewalk since about 1:45 p.m. A construction vehicle is stranded next to the flames, but no structures are on fire.

Firefighters are on the scene spraying water on the flames to keep the vehicle’s gas tank from exploding. Police have shut down numerous streets. Firefighters have pushed the growing crowd, including Arlington Office of Emergency Management employees, farther back from the scene as a gas smell becomes more pervasive in the area.

Gas company workers, who had been trying to shut off the gas by turning ground valves, are now using a backhoe in an apparent attempt to reach a shutoff valve.

Fire Breaks Out in Basement of Aurora Hills Home

By ARLnow.com

Fire broke out in the basement of a stately Aurora Hills home just before 5:30 last night.

The family that was living in the house evacuated as the flames grew larger. Firefighters rushed to the scene and were able to extinguish the fire within 10 minutes. Some smoke and water damage was evident, but no one was hurt.

Property records indicate the home, on the 1000 block of 26th Street S., belongs to a former top FCC official.

Ruby Tuesday in Rosslyn Closed Due to Fire, Renovations

By ARLnow.com

The signs outside say the Ruby Tuesday restaurant in Rosslyn (1300 Wilson Boulevard) is renovating. That’s true, we’re told, but those renovations are coming on the heels of a gas-fed kitchen fire that broke out around 11:00 p.m. Thursday night.

An employee who answered the phone today said Ruby Tuesday will be closed for at least the next couple of days, although an exact reopening date has not been set.

The employee said that the renovations were planned, but were started earlier than anticipated after the fire damaged the restaurant’s kitchen.

Thank you to J.A. for the tip

Another Fire in Hall’s Hill Neighborhood

By ARLnow.com

(Originally published at 7:56 a.m. Updated at 11:05 a.m.) The Arlington Fire Marshal’s office is investigating a blaze at a home on 22nd Street near North Edison Street and Lee Highway.

Authorities say they received the first call about the fire at 6:02 a.m. The flames was extinguished by 6:31 a.m.

Two people were taken to the hospital as a result of the fire, according to Lt. Gregg Karl of the Fire Marshal’s office. No word yet on the extent of their injuries.

Lt. Karl said there was “extensive damage” to the house. The Red Cross is assisting the family that lived in the house find a new place to stay.

In August, firefighters battled a fire at a vacant house on the 2100 block of North Edison Street, just two houses down from the house that caught fire this morning. Fire officials on the scene said that the August fire is still under investigation.

Fire at the Carlton Condos on Four Mile Run Drive

By ARLnow.com

Firefighters are on the scene of a fire on the second floor of the Carlton condominium at 4600 South Four Mile Run Drive.

Firefighters are reporting that there was a kitchen fire in one of the units. The blaze is now under control, we hear.

There was heavy smoke on the building’s second floor when firefighters arrived.

Update at 1:30 p.m. — So far, no injuries have been reported. The building is being ventilated. Police have shut down some streets in the area.

Update at 2:25 p.m. — There was possible water damage reported on the first floor, as a result of the effort to extinguish the fire. So far, however, the Red Cross has not been called, and it sounds like few, if any, families will be displaced.

Update at 2:30 p.m. — Four Mile Run Drive has reopened. Firefighters from Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax County were all on the scene, since the building is near the border with each.

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