fire

Obligatory Turkey Fryer Inferno Video

By ARLnow.com

Every year around this time, fire departments around the country take to the airwaves to remind the public that turkey fryers are incredibly dangerous and will probably catch your house on fire if you ever use one.

If you’re still using a turkey fryer at this point, really, you’re either a professional cook or an amateur daredevil.

Nonetheless, the Arlington County Fire Department has asked us to pass this video and a few turkey fryer safety tips along, just in case you’re the kind of person who likes your Thanksgiving dinner cooked in the same manner as your french fries.

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BREAKING NEWS — Bus Fire on I-395

By ARLnow.com

Firefighters are on the scene of a tour bus fire on southbound I-395, just after the 14th Street Bridge.

Heavy smoke can be seen on traffic cameras.

Only one lane of traffic is getting by the scene. Firefighters report that everybody that was on the bus made it out safely.

Update at 10:40 p.m. — The fire appears to be out.

Update at 10:50 p.m. — A witness, Josh Wright, tells us via Twitter: “[I] saw 40 foot flames coming out the back the bus. Firefighters were on the scene fast and put it out.”

Update at 12:35 a.m. — Wright supplied the video below, shot shortly after the flames were extinguished.

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Fire Forces Evacuation of Rosslyn Office Building

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 12:55 p.m.) An office building on the 1500 block of Wilson Boulevard was evacuated around 12:15 this afternoon after smoke started pouring from a shaft in the building’s parking garage.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the small blaze by spraying water from a grate above the garage.

The fire forced the evacuation of at least one building. It also snarled traffic on Wilson Boulevard, where fire trucks completely blocked the road, bringing cars to a standstill.

Firefighters are in the process of clearing the scene and have reopened at least one lane on Wilson Boulevard.

Update at 2:30 p.m. — A cameraman from the Arlington Virginia Network happened to be walking by when the fire broke out. See AVN’s video of the incident here.

Barcroft to ACFD: No More Made-For-TV House Burnings

By ARLnow.com

Neighbors aren’t too pleased with the made-for-TV house fire set by firefighters in Barcroft last month.

Last night the Barcroft School and Civic League passed the following resolution, asking Arlington County to rescind its policy of allowing the fire department to perform controlled burns in residential neighborhoods.

Resolution

Whereas the Arlington County Fire Department burned a house in Barcroft on S. 8th Street on October 19, 2010, producing billowing clouds of thick black smoke and leaving the building a charred hulk that is still giving off fumes; and

Whereas the notification to the immediate neighbors was received at 5pm on the previous day, and the telephone number given for questions was not answered, indicating that the Fire Department had decided not to consider any citizen concerns about the burning and giving insufficient notice for parents to make arrangements for moving their children for the day or for pregnant women to arrange to move elsewhere; and

Whereas there was no notification at all to the neighborhood at large; and

Whereas similar burnings have provoked protests in other neighborhoods; and

Whereas the burning of a typical older Arlington house produces toxic fumes from lead paint and other materials and in most cases releases asbestos fibers; and

Whereas in an era of concern about toxic substances and their effect on air quality the intentional burning of a home in a neighborhood is clearly an anachronism;

Now therefore the Barcroft School and Civic League recommends to Arlington County that the policy of permitting the Fire Department to burn homes in residential neighborhoods be recinded.

Adopted this 4th of November, 2010 by the Barcroft School and Civic League.

Bryant Monroe

President

Woman Dies After Lighting Herself on Fire in Falls Church

By ARLnow.com

It was a horrific scene on South James Street in Falls Church Saturday afternoon.

On a quiet residential street, two blocks away from the Broadale Village Shopping Center, a 54-year-old woman apparently doused herself with a flammable substance and lit herself on fire, according to Arlington fire department spokesperson Lt. Ed Hughes.

Falls Church police and Arlington firefighters and paramedics responded to the scene.

“Upon arrival, officers found a female, in her 50s, leaning against the outside wall of a residence, underneath a spigot with water running over her body,” Falls Church Police said in a statement today. “She had second and third degree burns over 70% of her body.”

The woman, whose identity has not been released, was rushed to nearby Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, where a helicopter was waiting to airlift her to the Washington Hospital Center burn unit. She succumbed to her injuries early Sunday morning, Falls Church Police said.

The Falls Church Police Department and the Arlington County Fire Marshal are investigating the incident as a possible suicide, according to Arlington Chief Fire Marshal Benjamin Barksdale.

BREAKING NEWS — Train Fire Near Potomac Yard

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 10:40 a.m.) A fire aboard a CSX locomotive near Potomac Yard is out, but Amtrak trains may be slightly delayed while crews work to clear the scene.

All CSX and Amtrak trains that use the tracks were temporarily halted while firefighters worked to put out the fire. Train traffic is now being allowed through again on two of the three tracks that run through the area.

Arlington Fire Department spokesperson Lt. Ed Hughes said there was a “minor smoldering fire” in the train’s engine compartment, caused by overheated bearings. The fire was extinguished quickly and the train will be moved shortly, Hughes said. Amtrak trains may experience minor delays, he said.

Blue and Yellow Line Metro trains that run on nearby tracks were apparently not affected.

More on Yesterday’s Power Outages in Ballston

By ARLnow.com

Dominion spokesperson Le-Ha Anderson clears up come of the confusion surrounding yesterday’s power outages in Ballston and the fire response at the National Science Foundation building:

We had a couple of different outages in the Ballston area yesterday.

Eight customers between North Fairfax Drive and N. Quincy Street were without power from 1:45 – 6:18 PM. The cause of the outage is unknown, but we were able made some repairs to the equipment and re-energized the transformer to restore all customers.

The National Science Foundation building is where the other outage occurred. Dominion received a call that there was a fire in the vault where the transformer is located. The sprinkler system was activated and the vault filled up with water. After draining the vault of water, we investigated the outage and found that the transformer was damaged. We will be replacing that transformer this morning. The National Science Foundation has damage within its own system, so they will also need to make repairs. This outage is affecting the HVAC system within the building, but the lights are on. It is my understanding that the NSF made the decision yesterday to close today so that all repairs could be made.

The power outages forced the Arlington Public Library and The Front Page restaurant, among others, to close early.

Update at 9:30 a.m. — North Stuart Street between Wilson Blvd and 9th Street is being shut down for emergency electrical work. The closure may affect some bus routes.

Update at 2:10 p.m. — Below are photos of power crews working on the lines on Washington Boulevard, near the Arlington Central Library, and of crews replacing a transformer below the NSF building.

Out of the Ashes, Developer to Build Ultra Energy Efficient Home

By ARLnow.com

The Barcroft neighborhood is going to be the home of the Washington area’s second passive house.

Passive house is an ultra energy efficient building style that’s becoming increasingly popular in Europe. There are only about 20 passive houses in the United States.

The eco-friendly house will be built on the site of yesterday’s spectacular made-for-TV controlled burn exercise. The small, condemned and now-charred home currently on the site will be torn down. Construction is expected to begin around December 1 and wrap up in the spring.

The project is being done on spec by the Burke-based developer Kinsey Properties.

Roger Lin, a managing partner at the firm, says the house will raise the bar for efficiency in environmentally-conscious Arlington.

“It’s highest standard in terms of performance-based green buildings,” he said. “They’re popping up all over the country now.”

Lin said the only other passive house in the DC area is in Bethesda.

Bus Fire Reported on I-395

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 6:00 p.m.) Arlington firefighters are on the scene of a reported bus fire on Washington Boulevard near I-395. Heavy smoke could be seen in the area through traffic cameras.

The bus appears to be on northbound Washington Boulevard, near the ramp from I-395.

The fire — or whatever was causing all the smoke — appears to now be under control. Traffic in the area is moving, albeit slowly.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Paving Update — Now that the section of Wilson Blvd near Whitlow’s is paved with smooth blacktop, workers are focusing on Washington Blvd. As of Sunday afternoon, one lane between North Highland Street and Pershing Drive was torn up, awaiting fresh asphalt. TBD reports that the repaving of Washington Blvd will stretch into next week.

Flames Seen From Plane Engine — The Associated Press reports that flames were seen coming from the engine of a US Airways plane landing at Reagan National Airport. The captain of the flight from Charlotte, N.C. declared an emergency but landed without incident. No flames were seen after it landed.

‘Old Guard’ Returns from Iraq — Soldiers from the Fort Myer-based Old Guard arrived back home Saturday night after serving one year in Iraq. More than 120 soldiers from the historic regiment, best known for its ceremonial duties at Arlington National Ceremony and the White House, provided security at an Iraqi prison. More from WUSA9.

Students Return to Marymount U — The familiar sight of parents helping their children move into the dorms returned to Marymount University over the weekend. The school’s incoming class includes a record 440 freshman and a record 335 transfer students. More from the Sun Gazette.

Flickr pool photo by Afagen.

Fire Engulfs Vacant Home on North Edison Street

By ARLnow.com

Update at 12:20 p.m. — An arson dog found some sort of combustible substance in the house, TBD reports, but officials caution that it could take awhile for a state laboratory to examine the substance and draw any conclusions.

A fast-moving fire engulfed a home on the 2100 block of North Edison Street, near the Langston-Brown Community Center, early this morning. Initial reports suggest the home was abandoned, utilities were turned off, and nobody was inside at the time.

The blaze started on the porch around 3:30 a.m. and spread to the second floor. It took firefighters nearly an hour to extinguish the flames.

While the fire burned, residents as far away as Ballston reported smelling smoke.

The house was built in 1935 and is valued at $517,500, according to Zillow.com.

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