fire

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Hot Tub Catches Fire in Cherrydale — The fire department responded to a residence near North Quebec and 22nd Streets for a hot tub that somehow caught on fire, we’re told. Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze, then made sure the fire had not spread to the house. No word on whether the fire was caused by a malfunctioning time machine that sent its occupants back to the 1980s. Thanks to J.A. for the tip.

Clarendon Grill Nostalgia — With Clarendon Grill now closed for renovations, writer Melissa Stagnaro has penned a nostalgic account of working at “CGrill” in the late 90s. We’re not sure what it’s going on the web site of a small New York state newspaper, but it’s a great read nonetheless. One fun tidbit: the guy who interviewed her for the job was Nick Freshman, now co-owner of Clarendon hotspot Spider Kelly’s. At the time, Stagnaro writes, Freshman was “CGrill’s most junior manager… [he] had only recently been elevated from server status himself.”

Democrats Still Peeved About Change-of-Government Effort — Even after it failed to get on the ballot, the change-of-government initiative is still generating some raw feelings among Arlington Democrats. At the Arlington County Democratic Committee’s monthly meeting last night, former chairman Peter Rousselot called the effort a “criminal conspiracy,” the Sun Gazette reports. Rousselot said the Coalition for Arlington Good Government, formed to oppose the petition, will stick around just in case another change-of-government group comes along.

Flickr pool photo by BrianMKA

DEVELOPING — Power Outage Hits Reagan National Airport

By ARLnow.com

Update at 2:10 p.m. — Airport officials say power has been restored and ticketing lines are beginning to move. They still advising travelers to check with their airline and print boarding passes at home, if possible, due to residual delays from the outage.

Officials at Reagan National Airport are “anticipating major delays and cancellations” as a result of a power outage affecting Terminals B and C.

The outage is affecting ticket counters and concessions, airport spokesperson Courtney Mickalonis said. Power has been restored at TSA security screening stations.

Mickalonis said passengers flying out of Regan National today should check with their airlines first, then, if possible, go online to print out their boarding passes.

The power outage hit at 11:45 this morning, typically a slower time for the airport. But as evening approaches, and more and more flights are affected by the outage, major delays are likely.

At 1:00 this afternoon, there were already long lines forming at the curbside check-in stations.

The source of the power outage appears to be a fire at a power substation just north of the terminal. The substation is located at the headquarters building for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which is also without power.

Widespread Power Outage in North Arlington

By ARLnow.com

On a hot and sticky Thursday evening, more than 4,100 Dominion customers are without power in North Arlington. A blown transformer is believed to be the source of the outage.

The transformer blew just after 5:00 this afternoon and sparked a small grass fire, which was promptly extinguished.

Police are reporting that numerous traffic lights are dark in the area of Yorktown High School.

Dominion estimates that power will be restored around 9:00 tonight.

DEVELOPING — Smoke Reported on Metro Tracks off I-66

By ARLnow.com

Update at 4:00 p.m. — The disruption has been cleared, WTOP reports.

Update at 3:35 p.m. — There’s smoke on the tracks between Ballston and East Falls Church, Metro spokesperson Cherry-Ann Santos confirms. Currently, there is no impact on service, Santos says. However, riders are being told to expect delays on the Orange Line.

A possible fire has been reported on the Orange Line Metrorail tracks that run parallel to I-66, near the North Harrison Street overpass.

Passersby report white smoke coming from the tracks. Arlington firefighters are en route.

There’s currently heavy traffic on I-66 near the scene.

Woman Suffers Serious Burns in House Fire

By ARLnow.com

A woman was flown via medevac helicopter to Washington Hospital Center’s burn center after a house fire Tuesday night.

The fire broke out around 8:00 at a house on the 1000 block of North Sycamore Street in Falls Church, near the East Falls Church Metro station. Although the fire was contained before it could spread to the rest of the home, firefighters say an older woman who lived there suffered “serious burns.”

An Arlington County fire investigation team was on scene late last night. As the acrid smell of smoke still hung in the air, investigators could be seen inspecting a wheelchair that had been removed from the house.

Afternoon Notes: Alpine Restaurant Changing Owners

By ARLnow.com

New Ownership for Alpine Restaurant — Alpine Restaurant, the popular Italian eatery on Lee Highway in North Arlington, closed its doors on Sunday. After 44 years in business, owner Ermanno Tonizzo decided to sell the restaurant and retire. The restaurant will eventually re-open under new management. More from NBC Washington.

Small Fire at Reagan National — A scary moment for travelers at Reagan National Airport yesterday afternoon. A small fire broke out at a McDonald’s restaurant past the security checkpoint in one of the terminals. The fire was extinguished within minutes, and airport spokesperson said. There were some minor flight delays, but the terminal was not evacuated. Crews from the Arlington Fire Department assisted airport firefighters on the call. More from the Associated Press.

Arlington Woman to Appear on Jeopardy Tonight — Local resident Liz Murphy, who advanced past the quarterfinals of the Jeopardy Tournament of Champions last week, will face two other returning Jeopardy winners tonight in the semifinals. The show airs at 7:30 p.m. on WJLA (Channel 7).

ART Bus Fire Caught on Video

By ARLnow.com

Update on 5/11 — A county spokesperson says the fire was “electrical in nature” but an exact cause won’t be determined for another week or so.

An ART bus caught fire on Pershing Drive near Ft. Myer around 6:15 tonight. We’re told the intense flames were extinguished by 6:30, but not before causing some major traffic backups. There were no passengers on the bus and the driver managed to escape safely before the bus was fully engulfed. Special thanks to the tipster who sent us this dramatic video.