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Fairfax County ignites plan to crack down on illegal fireworks use

Investigators found that improperly discarded fireworks caused a house fire this year in Herndon (via FCFRD/Twitter)

Fairfax County officials are exploring ways to crack down on the illegal use of fireworks.

At a meeting Tuesday (Sept. 12), the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to consider expanding the enforcement powers of the Fairfax County Police Department related to fireworks.

Currently, FCPD officers don’t have jurisdiction to issue citations for individuals using fireworks illegally — a problem that Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk, who introduced the proposal, says “stifles” the county’s ability to prevent and end unlawful fireworks displays.

The county’s code currently designates the Office of the Fire Marshal as the only enforcement agency for issues related to fireworks, which can only be sold locally from June 1 to July 15 each year.

Around Independence Day, the office lacks bandwidth and staff to respond to calls for service and on-site safety protocol, according to Lusk.

The change was sparked by an increase in the number of fireworks-related incidents tackled by the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, particularly around the Fourth of July.

According to the board matter, Deputy Fire Chief John Walser has said that this July 4 had “the most significant number of incidents of any [day] in the time I have been in the Fire Marshal’s Office.”

Between July 1 and 4, the police department received 60 calls of service related to fireworks displays in the Franconia District station alone. Just on July 4, county firefighters responded to 12 fires, “almost all of which were certainly related to fireworks,” Lusk said.

Staff will now work on drafting language for an ordinance that will be considered by the board before the end of the first quarter of 2024. A renewed interagency public awareness campaign on fireworks rules and safety is also planned.

Photo via FCFRD/Twitter

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UPDATE: Stolen car crashes in Lorton home, investigation underway

A stolen car crashed into a Lorton home earlier today (Photo via Fairfax County Police Department).

(Updated at 4:45 pm) Local police have arrested a man suspected of crashing a stolen car into a Lorton home earlier this morning at around 4:40 a.m.

Nico Anthony Doublet, 32, was arrested today (Thursday), after a community-led search.

The car drove into a home in the area of Cumbria Valley Drive and Derwent Valley Court. The suspect was wearing dark clothing and a surgical mask. He is described as a Black male in his 20s.

Police said the man was seen taking things from various cars in the neighborhood. Police attempted to stop the man in the act, but he sped away in the stolen car — which was taken from the neighborhood.

Officers followed him on foot, after which the man crashed into an electrical transformer near the house. The house and car then caught fire.

No injuries were reported, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

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One injured in Reston apartment fire

Crews believe the fire originated in the bathroom of the apartment (Photo via Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department).

One individual was injured in a Reston apartment fire that broke out shortly before midnight last night (Thursday).

The fire broke out in garden-style apartments in the 1400 block of Esplanade Court, according to the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department.

The man was treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Crews believe the fire — which was extinguished —started in the bathroom. The cause of the blaze was not immediately known.

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UPDATED: More than 16,000 without power in Fairfax County as storms roll through

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(Updated at 8:05 p.m.) Thousands of people in Fairfax County have been hit by power outages in the wake of a thunderstorm that’s continuing to march eastward toward D.C.

As of 7:15 p.m., there were 16,029 customers in Fairfax County and another 1,770 customers in Fairfax City without power, according to Dominion Energy’s outage map, which shows 90 separate outages.

The most sizable outages appear to be focused south of I-66, with thousands affected around Fairfax City, including around George Mason University’s campus, and Fairfax Station. Major outages also appear in Great Falls, Annandale and Lincolnia.

The outages may have affected the Burke Centre Library and the John Marshall Library in Rose Hill. Fairfax County Public Library says both branches were closed at 6:45 p.m. “due to facilities issues.”

While there have been no reports of hail or tornadoes yet, the storm has kept the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department busy with calls for downed wires and trees.

The department reported at 5:54 p.m. that it had units working 12 different calls for outside fires.

Road closures have also cropped up, according to the Fairfax County Police Department. A spokesperson says no major roads have been shut down, but “there are several secondary roads that may have debris or downed wires.”

“Due to inclement weather, multiple roads in Fairfax County are closed or blocked. #FCPD will respond and provide updates as soon as possible,” the department said on Twitter.

Metro, which has activated its Emergency Operations Center, is delaying trains and buses in some areas due to the weather.

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JUST IN: Code Red air quality from Canada wildfires possible tomorrow

I-66 in Oakton during hazy conditions on June 7 (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

(Updated at 9:30 p.m.) A Code Red Air Quality alert has been issued for the D.C. region.

In Fairfax County, conditions are expected to worsen to an air quality index (AQI) rating of 164 tomorrow (Thursday), due primarily to particulate matter drifting down to the U.S. from ongoing wildfires in Canada, according to AirNow’s air quality forecast.

A Code Red — which is a step higher than the Code Orange seen today — “means air quality is unhealthy for everyone in Fairfax County and the region,” the county said in a post on its emergency information blog.

With hundreds of wildfires reportedly blazing in Canada, particularly Quebec and British Columbia, the area’s air quality will likely continue to fluctuate “over the next several days,” the county says.

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments is encouraging residents to limit their outdoor activities as much as possible.

“If outdoor activities cannot be rescheduled, the EPA recommends limiting time outdoors, taking frequent breaks indoors in places where the air is clean, and choosing a mask that will protect you like an N95,” COG said.

The Fairfax County Park Authority has canceled many outdoor activities for the day, including summer camps and classes, and outdoor water parks and pools will be closed.

The AQI is currently forecast to drop to 84 — a Code Yellow — on Saturday (July 1), according to AirNow, which uses data reported by the Environmental Protection Agency and other local, state and federal government entities.

It doesn’t look like the pollution will quite reach the concentrations seen in early June, when the D.C. area recorded its worst air quality on record as a result of Canadian wildfires.

According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, three new fires started today, and there are 476 active blazes, about half of which remain out of control. The agency has recorded 2,988 fires in 2023 so far that have burned through 8 million acres of land.

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Code Red alert signaling unhealthy air issued for Fairfax County

A haze hangs over I-66 in Dunn Loring (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

(Updated at 11:35 a.m.) Smoke drifting south from wildfires in Canada has introduced unhealthy levels of air pollution in the D.C. area.

A Code Red Air Quality Alert has been issued for the entire region, including Fairfax County, signaling that the air is unhealthy for everyone today (Wednesday), according to AirNow.

AirNow collects official air quality data reported by the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other federal, state and local agencies.

Fairfax County is advising residents to limit the time they spend outside, particularly if they’re vulnerable to breathing or lung issues:

People with heart or lung disease, older adults, children, and teens – take any of these steps to reduce your exposure:

  • Avoid strenuous outdoor activities.
  • Keep outdoor activities short.
  • Consider moving physical activities indoors or rescheduling them.
  • Avoid waiting in long drive-thru lines, for example, at coffee shops, fast-food restaurants, or banks- park your car and go inside.
  • Combine trips.

Everyone else – take any of these steps to reduce your exposure:

  • Choose less strenuous activities (like walking instead of running) so you don’t breathe as hard.
  • Avoid waiting in long drive-thru lines, for example, at coffee shops, fast-food restaurants, or banks- park your car and go inside.
  • Re-fuel your vehicle after dark.
  • Shorten the amount of time you are active outdoors.
  • Be active outdoors when air quality is better.

Fairfax County Public Schools has canceled all outdoor activities until 6 p.m. and implemented indoor recess, spokesperson Julie Moult confirmed to FFXnow, adding that all information will be posted to the school system’s website.

Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw noted that, around 10 a.m., the air quality in Fairfax had actually tipped over into very unhealthy Code Purple territory due to the amount of particulate matter in the air, as measured by the EPA’s Air Quality Index, according to AirNow.

A Code Orange was previously anticipated for today, as smoke from wildfires in Quebec blankets the East Coast.

According to AirNow, the Code Red could be extended into tomorrow (Thursday) with a Code Orange forecast for Friday (June 9).

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Firefighters contain large blaze at Lorton landfill off Richmond Highway

The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department responds to a landfill fire in Lorton (via FCFRD/Twitter)

(Updated at 12:40 p.m.) A massive fire broke out last night (Monday) at the Rainwater Landfill on Richmond Highway in Lorton, occupying Fairfax County firefighters for hours.

As of 9 a.m., the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department remains on scene in the 9900 block of Richmond Highway after units were dispatched to a reported outside fire at 11:03 p.m.

The department reported at 5:47 a.m. that the fire had been contained, but smoke was still visible from Route 1 and I-95.

Given the size of the fire, it will be at least 24 hours before investigators can determine a cause, FCFRD spokesperson Ashley Hildebrandt told FFXnow.

“The fire was contained to the landfill,” Hildebrandt said, describing the site as an area for construction debris rather than a trash landfill.

Established in 1969, Rainwater Topsoil & Recycled Concrete provides mulch, soil, construction and other debris disposal services to Northern Virginia, according to its website.

The mulch section of the landfill appears to have been most affected, since the fire department says the site is “mainly logs & brush.”

“Due to the amount of smoke generated, HazMat units conducted atmospheric monitoring. All readings are within normal levels,” the FCFRD said at 12:25 p.m.

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Two hospitalized after pickup truck crashes on Beltway, catches fire

A Virginia State Police vehicle (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

A pickup truck carrying multiple vehicles became consumed by fire after crashing on the Capital Beltway (I-495) in the Rose Hill area early this morning (Friday).

Virginia State Police responded to the crash near the Van Dorn Street exit at 3:50 a.m., according to a news release.

“At this stage of the investigation, it appears a pickup truck had been traveling west on I-495 when it ran off the road, struck the Jersey wall and came to rest in the eastbound lanes of I-495,” the VSP said. “The impact of the crash caused the vehicle to become engulfed in flames.”

Two people were transported to the MedStar Washington Hospital Center with injuries described as serious.

In a tweet, the Virginia Department of Transportation initially said the crash involved a tractor-trailer before revising the description to a “multi-vehicle crash.”

Police now say that there were multiple vehicles but only one driver.

“The pickup truck was pulling a trailer that was loaded with two other vehicles,” police said.

As the morning rush hour got underway, delays built up to a mile in each direction, but all lanes reopened before 7:30 a.m.

An investigation of the crash by state police is underway.

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Three dogs rescued from townhouse fire in Centreville

Fairfax County paramedics attend to a dog rescued from a townhouse fire in Centreville (via FCFRD/Twitter)

A trio of dogs was rescued from a townhouse fire in Centreville’s Bryarton neighborhood this morning (Wednesday).

Multiple Fairfax County Fire and Rescue units were dispatched to the 14600 block of Seasons Drive around 11:17 a.m., according to scanner traffic from Open MHz.

The fire department tweeted at 11:27 a.m. that units had arrived at the three-story residence and could see smoke issuing from the second floor.

“Crews working to extinguish a fire on the second floor,” the department said.

Per scanner traffic, firefighters said multiple pets were found in the townhouse. At one point, a responder report that there may be an elderly person in the house, but the department didn’t immediately confirm to FFXnow whether any people were inside.

The fire was extinguished shortly before 11:45 a.m., and no injuries were reported, including to the dogs, according to the FCFRD.

“Three dogs rescued are in good shape after treatment by #FCFRD firefighters and paramedics,” the department said.

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Red Flag Warning in effect for Fairfax County, indicating danger of fires

Fairfax County firefighters respond to a brush fire in Annandale on April 13, 2023 (via FCFRD/Twitter)

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for Fairfax County and the rest of the D.C. area.

In effect from noon until 8 p.m. today (Tuesday), the alert says a combination of strong wind gusts and low humidity have raised the risk of outdoor fires.

“A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly,” the NWS said. “A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior.”

The full alert is below:

…RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY FOR VIRGINIA, SOUTHERN MARYLAND, AND EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA PANHANDLE…

* WINDS…West 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 45 mph.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY…As low as 15 percent.

* IMPACTS…Critical fire weather conditions are expected through this evening. All outdoor burning is discouraged, as fires could rapidly spread and become uncontrollable.

* FUEL MOISTURE…Dropping to around 7 or 8 percent.

It’s a higher-level warning than the “elevated threat” alert that the NWS issued last Wednesday (April 12) when there were similar weather conditions.

The Fairfax County Department of Emergency Management and Security advises that cigarettes and other smoking materials should be disposed properly in water, sand or an ash tray.

The Virginia Department of Transportation said there were “several reports of brush fires” last week. A brush fire near the Evergreen House apartments in Annandale on Thursday (April 13) affected about 2 acres of land, though the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department reported that there were no injuries.

Virginia’s spring fire season typically falls between Feb. 15 and April 30, according to the state’s forestry department.

The D.C. area is currently in the midst of its warmest year on record, the Capital Weather Gang reported, with the 46.9-degree average temperature at Dulles International Airport surpassing the previous record in 2012 by 1 degree.

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