Firefighters battled both fire and water in the Reston area over the past weekend.
Firefighter injured in Herndon apartment fire
One firefighter was taken to a hospital after suffering injuries while responding to an apartment fire yesterday (Sunday) morning in the McNair area south of Herndon, according to the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department (FCFRD).
Units were dispatched to the Point at McNair Farms apartments in the 2500 block of Farmcrest Drive around 3:24 a.m. for the fire, which could be seen through the second and third floors of the garden-style apartment building.
“We’ve got fire through the roof,” a responding firefighter said, according to the emergency scanner.
The fire required three alarms, with Loudoun County Fire and Rescue and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Fire and Rescue Department both providing assistance. The fire was under control by 5 a.m.
All residents evacuated safely, but a firefighter was hospitalized with injuries described as not life-threatening. That firefighter has since been released from the hospital, an FCFRD spokesperson says.
Fire at Reston Town Center apartments
The FCFRD also tackled a fire in the Avant at Reston Town Center apartments this weekend.
Units were sent to the 12000 block of Town Square Street for a “high-rise fire” at 8:38 p.m. on Saturday (July 19) after a resident reported an alarm going off. Upon arriving, they determined that there was a fire on the eighth floor.
“The call was upgraded due to reports of smoke coming from the building,” the fire department said in a social media post.
According to the FCFRD, the building’s sprinkler system contained the fire, and no injuries were reported.
No updates on the causes of either the McNair or Reston fire were available by press time.
#FairfaxsBravest are on scene of a high-rise fire in 12000 blk of Town Square St, Reston. Units dispatched for fire alarm. Call upgraded for reports of smoke. Crews located fire on 8th floor that was contained by sprinkler system. Checking for extension/ventilation. No injuries. pic.twitter.com/uQl7lpa31t
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) July 20, 2025
Great Falls streets flood
Earlier on Saturday evening, heavy rain flooded several streets in Great Falls, requiring closures of Georgetown Pike, Walker Road, Springvale Road and Riverbend Road.
High water in the 9200 block of Old Dominion Drive trapped seven people in one vehicle around 7 p.m. Crews were able to “quickly” rescue all of the occupants, none of whom reported any injuries, according to the FCFRD.
According to the Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang, the flooding was the result of a “narrow band” of thunderstorms that emerged unexpectedly around 5 p.m. and lingered over northern Fairfax County, D.C. and central Maryland for a couple of hours. Great Falls and Silver Spring were the hardest-hit areas, seeing approximately 5 to 5.5 inches of rain in less than two hours.
⚠️ Springvale Rd between Crippin Dr & Brevity Ct
⚠️ Walker Rd between Park Royal Dr & Walker Mill Rd
⚠️ Walker Rd between Sunnybrook Dr & Golden Falcon Ct
⚠️ Georgetown Pike between Polo Dr & Applewood LnPlease seek alternate routes and stay safe. (2/2)
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) July 19, 2025
Saturday’s Flood Watch was the 16th issued by the National Weather Service for the D.C. region since May — the most on record and more than any other major city has seen so far in 2025, the Capital Weather Gang reported.
“Human-caused climate change, which speeds up evaporation, the amount of available moisture in the air has increased in recent decades,” the Capital Weather Gang said. “A measure of atmospheric moisture, known as precipitable water, has steadily increased since the late the 1970s. The increased moisture raises the ceiling for the amount and intensity of rainfall.”
