From Prince William fire and rescue:
The family dog has been rescued. Earlier this morning, units were dispatched back to the scene of last week’s horrific house explosion for a report of a barking dog in the debris. Crews arrived to hear the dog under a portion of the collapsed structure. Firefighters were able to free the animal after about 20 minutes of deploying structure collapse stabilization shoring techniques and some good old coaxing by the home’s owner. She appeared to be in good shape and showed her happiness of being freed by rapid tail wagging.
Updated 1:45 p.m. —
House Explosion
Tuesday, October 14, 2024
5:36 PM
Units were dispatched to the 5900 blk of Coby Hunt Ct. (Haymarket) at 4:17 pm for a reported outside gas leak. The dispatched unit arrived at 4:25 pm finding a 2” gas line damaged and leaking. At 4:26 pm, Washington Gas was requested for assistance. Shortly thereafter, the destroyed home and the homes in the immediate area were evacuated. The gas company arrived on the scene at 5:13 pm. The explosion occurred at approximately 5:36 pm. The leak was still active at the time of the explosion. When the home exploded, the on-scene fire unit officer immediately requested additional units and a second alarm to assist within minutes.
A private contractor was in the process of replacing the water line to the home when the gas line was struck and ruptured. Natural gas is lighter than air and will travel through any possible avenue. At some point the gas reached an ignition source and the explosion occurred. There are multiple possible ignition sources that could have contributed to the event. Miss Utility had been contacted prior to the construction. The scene is still being studied to possibly identify the ignition source. A representative of the State Division of Utility and Railroad Safety is also on the scene to investigate the incident.
No injuries were reported. Except for the destroyed home all occupants were allowed to return to their homes last night. Hopefully, gas service maybe restored to the impacted homes later tonight.
Original post — A house explosion occurred in the 5900 block of Coby Hunt Court near Haymarket on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, at 5:36 p.m., following a reported natural gas leak.
Units responded to the scene at 4:17 p.m. after an underground contractor reportedly struck a natural gas line. Fortunately, the home had been evacuated prior to the explosion, and no injuries were reported.
The single-family home, which housed two unrelated families consisting of four adults and two children, was completely destroyed. Several nearby vehicles were damaged by flying debris, and eight neighboring homes had their natural gas service disrupted, which could last up to two days.
Power has been restored to the homes in the immediate vicinity, and they were allowed to be reoccupied later that evening.
The Red Cross has responded to assist the displaced families. The gas company remains on the scene, working to secure the leak. Further updates will be provided as the investigation continues, with the next update expected at noon today.
The Prince William Planning Commission unanimously approved a special use permit for the project during its Sept. 11 meeting. Measuring 50,215 square feet, the dealership is planned for a 7.9-acre pad site due west of a Home Depot and will include over 300 surface parking spaces. The project has yet to appear on a Board of County Supervisors agenda.”
There will be several different special guests, performances, challenges and local agencies present at the expo. Read more below for the event schedule.
Schedule
- Noon to 12:10 p.m.:Â Opening ceremony (Ball Field 2)
- 12:10 to 12:35 p.m.:Â Prince William County Pipes & Drums
- 1 to 1:30 p.m.:Â Woodbridge High School Marching Band
- 1:30 to 2 p.m.:Â Make the Right Call Presentation
- 2 to 2:30 p.m.:Â Manassas Park High School Drum Line
- 2:30 to 3 p.m.:Â Egg Drop Challenge (Demo Alley)
- 3 to 3:30 p.m.:Â Vehicle Extrication
- 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.:Â School of Rock Haymarket House Band (Courtyard)
Exhibitors
FIRE & RESCUE
- PWC Fire & Rescue System
- Fire Marshal’s Office
- HAZMAT
- Life & Fire Safety Programs
- Office of Emergency Management
- Department of Fire & Rescue CPAT/Human Resources Office
- City of Manassas Fire & Rescue Department
- Manassas Park Fire & Rescue Department
LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Prince William County Police Department
- Prince William County Sheriff’s Office
- Manassas Park Police Department
- Town of Haymarket Police Department
- Town of Occoquan Police Department
- Quantico Police Department
- Dumfries Police Department
- Virginia State Police
LOCAL & REGIONAL AGENCIES
- AirCare 1 (PHI Air Medical Manassas)
- Department of Forestry
- Virginia Forestry
- Civil Air Patrol
- Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital
- Prince William District Scouts
- Prince William County Community Foundation
- NOVA Food Rescue
- PWC Animal Services
- Saving Prince William’s Littles
- Area Agency on Aging
- PWC Public Safety Communications 911
- Office of Executive Management
- Human Rights Commission
- Community Services Wellness & Prevention
- Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court Seals on Wheels
- PWC Building Development Building Code Enforcement
- Prince William Public Libraries’ Mobile Library Unit
- Office of Housing and Community Development
- Neabsco District Supervisor Victor Angry
- Volunteer Prince William
- Public Works/Solid Waste Management
- Office of Procurement Services
- PWC Department of Facilities & Fleet Management
ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
- PWCFRS Honor Guard
- Prince William County Pipes & Drums
- Antique Fire & Rescue Apparatus
- MedStar Health – Bleeding Control VR Experience
- PSCC 911 – Make the Right Call Presentation
- Firefighter/EMS Gear Dress Up Station
- Face Painting
- Egg Drop Challenge
- Rules
- Registration Form (closes Wed., Oct.9th @ 5 p.m.)
SPECIAL GUESTS
- Sparky the Fire Dog
- McGruff the Crime Dog
- Smokey the Bear
MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
- Woodbridge High School Marching Band
- Manassas Park High School Drum Line
- School of Rock Haymarket House Band
FOOD TRUCKS
- Two Smooth Dudes
- Virginia Grill
- Sweet Frog
- Bella’s Cafe
AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!
Take a look at some highlighted events.
Saturday (Oct. 5)
- Nature Hunters, 10 to 11:30 a.m. (Woodbridge)
- N? Pikake L?hio Wai Kaulele, 10 to 11:30 a.m. (Triangle)
- Manassas Jubilee, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Old Town Manassas)
Oct. 8
- Aging in Place Workshop, 1 to 3:45 p.m. (Woodbridge)
- Board of County Supervisors meeting, 2 p.m. (Woodbridge)
Oct. 9
- Mental Health Awareness Community Event, 1 to 4:30 p.m. (Woodbridge)
Oct. 10
- Dale Boulevard Transit Priority Study Public Meeting, 6 to 8 p.m. (Woodbridge)
Oct. 11
- Kid’s Night Out, 6 to 9 p.m. (Woodbridge)
Oct. 12
- Neabsco District Dumpster Day & Paper Shred, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Woodbridge)
- Battle of Bristow Station Anniversary Weekend, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Bristow)
- All-County Public Safety Expo, Noon to 5 p.m. (Woodbridge)
- Bristoe Station Luminary, 7 to 9 p.m. (Bristow)
Oct. 14
- First Tee Benefit Golf Tournament, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Triangle)
Oct. 15
- Board of County Supervisors Work Session, 2 p.m. (Woodbridge)
Oct. 17
- Marina Way Extension Project Public Hearing, 6 to 8 p.m. (Woodbridge)
Oct. 19
- Zumba for Breast Cancer Awareness, 8 to 9:30 a.m. (Woodbridge)
- Irongate Community Dumpster Day, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Manassas)
- Walk to End Alzheimer’s, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Manassas)
- Fall Festival: Pat White Center’s 50 Anniversary Celebration, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Manassas)
- Seals on Wheels, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Haymarket)
- Full Moon Hike, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. (Woodbridge)
Oct. 22
- Board of County Supervisors Meeting, 2 p.m. (Woodbridge)
Oct. 23
- KABOOM! Build Week at Fairmont Park, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Manassas)
Oct. 24
- Sunrise Nature Hike, 7:30 to 9 a.m. (Nokesville)
Oct. 26
- Gainesville District Dumpster Day & Paper Shred, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Gainesville District)
- National Drug Take-Back Day, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Multiple locations)
- Family Night Out: Movie in the Park, 7 to 9 p.m. (Woodbridge)
Oct. 28
- Community Safety Listening Session, 6 to 7:30 p.m. (Manassas)
The ticket is worth $1,505,297. The winning numbers were 6-20-32-36-43, and the winner had 180 days from the drawing to claim the prize with the Virginia Lottery.
In late August, another man from Prince William County won the Virginia Lottery Cash4Life, which totaled $1 million. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 1,221,759. The rolling jackpot for Cash 5 with EZ Match starts at a minimum of $200,000.
All Virginia Lottery profits go to K-12 education in Virginia. Prince William County received more than $64.6 million in lottery funds for K-12 education in fiscal year 2024. In the same fiscal year, the lottery made up approximately 10% of the state’s total school budget.
Chris Strong from the National Weather Service Baltimore-Washington office noted the unusual nature of the storm, highlighting that “one of the biggest things that was more uncommon about that event was just how little wind there was in the general atmosphere for these storms to move around.” This lack of atmospheric movement allowed the storms to “evolve and develop in place,” leading to prolonged periods of heavy rain and persistent lightning across several areas.
Despite the severity, the region did not experience any tornadic activity. Strong explained that tornadoes generally require wind shear—an increase in wind speed and a change in direction at different altitudes—which was absent during this event. This contributed to the storm’s stationary behavior, causing extended weather disturbances over the same locations.
The storms resembled tropical-like conditions often seen in places like Florida, not Virginia. “It was much more tropical both in the soupy tropical air that’s the fuel for these storms to get going and the stagnant air around,” said Strong.
According to storm reports on file with the National Weather Service, emergency services in Prince William County were stretched as they responded to multiple calls related to the storm. At 6:32 p.m., a 911 call center reported approximately half a dozen trees down in the Buckland Mills area near Haymarket, causing obstructions and damage.
Flooding also became a significant concern, with the ramp from Route 29 onto Interstate 66 in Gainesville closed due to high water levels at 7:32 p.m. Further disruptions were reported in Dumfries at 8:31 p.m., where flooding across Route 1 impeded traffic flow.
Quantico Marine Corps Base recorded several high winds, with a peak 49 mph gust recorded on a Potomac River buoy at 8:35 p.m., illustrating the storm’s power as it moved over the area. Additionally, by 9:12 p.m., police closed Aden Road in Prince William County due to flooding.
More flooding was reported at 9:15 p.m. on Piper Lane near the railroad crossing near Manassas Regional Airport. There were several power outages, as well, with nearly 5,000 NOVEC customers out in Stafford County and more than 400 in Prince William.
Looking ahead, the region is now at the peak of hurricane season. Strong advised that while the current forecast suggests tropical disturbances will likely remain south of the mid-Atlantic, residents should remain vigilant through early October.
As Northern Virginia moves toward fall, Strong anticipates “more roller coasters of temperature swings,” providing some relief from one of the hottest summers on record.
Sanctuary jurisdictions typically have regulations that limit cooperation with ICE, impacting the enforcement of immigration laws. These measures may include refusing ICE detainers, restricting agency interactions with ICE, or hindering the sharing of information about incarcerated aliens.
ICE uses detainers as a key mechanism to detain aliens involved in criminal activities, ensuring their custody transfer for deportation. These detainers provide details about the individual’s criminal and immigration history, highlighting their public safety or security risk.
Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Center, expressed concern over the growth of sanctuary policies. “It is alarming to see the continued proliferation of sanctuary policies, especially in places like Virginia, where ICE has had to use its scarce resources to re-arrest violent gang members and rapists in our communities who were set free by local jails, when they should have been transferred directly to ICE custody for a plane ride home,” Vaughan stated.
The proliferation of sanctuary policies raises concerns, particularly due to the necessity for ICE to reallocate resources to apprehend dangerous criminals who are released by local authorities rather than being transferred to ICE. Vaughan emphasizes the need for legislative action to foster cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE, and to address non-compliance.
The newly updated map introduces 170 new sanctuary regions across the U.S., including counties and cities. Some of these jurisdictions are in states with laws against sanctuary policies. The report highlights significant increases in sanctuary designations in states like Virginia, North Dakota, Nebraska, New York, and Minnesota.
This update, derived from ICE’s internal tracking and a Freedom of Information Act request, points to over 10,000 deportable aliens being released back into communities over the years due to sanctuary policies, with many reoffending.
The news comes as Virginia State Senator Tara Durant (R) revealed reports of two additional intrusions at Quantico Marine Corps Base following the arrests of two men from Jordan who were in the U.S. illegally. Potomac Local News broke the story and told you the men were arrested after allegedly posing as Amazon delivery drivers and ramming the front gate of the military installation on May 3, 2023.
Durant said the additional incursions occurred on May 3, the same day two Jordanian nationals in the U.S. illegally posed as Amazon delivery men.
WRC-TV: A judge ruled a Northern Virginia man is competent to stand trial after he was arrested last year on suspicion that he was about to embark on a mass shooting at a megachurch.
