A major ammonia leak at a Sterling manufacturing plant has hospitalized 26 individuals tonight. The Prince William County Fire and Rescue Department and additional units from the surrounding region responded to the "mass casualty" event. At 8:36 p.m., the Loudoun County Emergency Communications Center (ECC) received a 9-1-1 call reporting a gas leak inside a commercial building on the 22400 block of Sous Vide Lane in Sterling. Upon arrival, fire and rescue units from Loudoun County, Fairfax County, Prince William County, and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority confirmed the presence of an ammonia leak. Numerous patients exposed to the gas were immediately identified. As of the latest update, 26 patients have been transported to area hospitals, with four experiencing significant symptoms. Many others are still being evaluated at the scene. The Loudoun County Office of Emergency Management is present to assist those impacted by the incident. Cuisine Solutions, the operator of the affected facility, specializes in sous vide, a French cooking method where food is sealed and cooked in water at precise times and temperatures. The leak occurred at their plant, where sous vide packaging is conducted. Emergency crews have been working diligently to contain the leak and ensure the safety of the surrounding area. Public safety personnel are expected to maintain a presence in the area as the situation develops. More information will be provided as it becomes available. Residents are advised to stay clear of the area to allow emergency responders to manage the situation effectively.

INCIDENT ALERT: At approximately 8:36 p.m., the Loudoun County ECC received a 9-1-1 call reporting a gas leak inside a commercial building in the 22400 block of Sous Vide Lane in Sterling… cont. @Chief600KJ pic.twitter.com/X7XzT9Eiwz

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Press release:

On Wednesday, July 31st, at 10:00 a.m., the Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue held its graduation ceremony for Recruit Class 2024-1 at the Grace Life Community Church, 9560 Linton Hall Road, in Bristow. Battalion Chief Scott Arft presided over the ceremony.

Class 2024-1 consists of Fire and Rescue Technicians who successfully completed 27 weeks of rigorous academic and physical training at the Department’s Public Safety Training Center in Nokesville, Virginia. Each student performed in excess of 1500 hours of training. The training consisted of an initial week of Orientation/Study Skills. During the entirety of recruit school, our recruits focus on their Health, Nutrition, and Functional Fitness.

Additionally, there are 8 weeks of Emergency Medical Training, 13 weeks of Fire Training, 4 weeks of Specialized Training, and 2 weeks of Administrative Training.

Congratulations to the following graduates:

• Stuart Anderson, Jr. Sahng Kim
• Dylan Brown Hugo Molina
• Colby Combs-Blake Mitchell Morris
• Tanner Everly Nolan Murphy
• Kaeden Falkner Andrew Olney
• Alyssa Farthing Samuel Thomas
• Aaron Grim Marco Ventura
• Nicholas Hoffmaster Norman Walton

Rescue crews pulled a man from a manhole near a Safeway grocery store in Dale City on Sunday, July 28, 2024.

There is no word yet on how he wound up in the hole or the victim’s age. We await updated information from the Prince William County Fire and Rescue Department.

Prince William Professional Firefighters Union:

Late last night, Units from our Technical Rescue Division responded to the 4200 block of Cheshire Station Plaza for a person who had fallen down a manhole adjacent to a retention pond. Engine 26 arrived on scene first and reported a person, fifteen feet down a manhole with extensive lower body injuries. Crews began to arrive and prepared for a confined space entry. HAZMAT crews monitored the environment while rescues prepared for the rescue incident. Crews made initial contact with the patient from the surface at 10:40pm and had the victim and all rescues recovered at 11:13pm. The patient was evaluated and transported to a local hospital.

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At 2:25 a.m. today, Monday, July 8, 2024, emergency units were dispatched to the 17600 block of Washington Street in Dumfries after a call reported a fire at a mobile home. Upon arrival, crews found fire emerging from the rear deck area of the home.

An adult and two children had to escape the fire through a window before the units arrived. The fire was extinguished quickly. The adult was transported to a nearby medical facility with a non-life-threatening injury.

The home sustained significant damage and was declared unsafe to occupy by the Town of Dumfries Building Official. The Red Cross is assisting the displaced residents, which include one adult and two children.

The Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.

At 4 o’clock this morning, a house fire on the 14000 block of Carolina Street in Woodbridge was quickly controlled by fire crews, though the home sustained extensive damage. All occupants safely evacuated, and the fire was determined to have been caused by unattended cooking appliances on the deck.

All occupants safely evacuated, and the fire was determined to have been caused by unattended cooking appliances on the deck.

More from Prince William fire and rescue:

Early this morning units were dispatched to the 14000 blk of Carolina Street (Woodbridge) for reports of a house fire. Crews arrived to find heavy fire and smoke showing from the rear of the home. The home’s deck was fully involved and rapidly spreading into the residence. Fire attack commenced with the fire being quickly controlled. All the occupants had safely evacuated prior to the Fire Department’s arrival, after one of them was awaken by the noise created by the exterior fire. The home sustained extensive damage with no injuries being reported. The structure was declared unsafe to occupy by the Building Official, displacing 4 adults and 1 child. The Red Cross responded to assist. The Fire Marshal’s Office concluded the fire was ignited by unattended cooking on appliances located on the home’s rear deck.

Today, Saturday, June 8, 2024, at 3:57 a.m., fire crews were called to. Crews quickly controlled the fully engulfed detached garage, with no injuries reported, and the cause is under investigation by the Fire Marshal’s Office.

At 12:55 a.m., units were dispatched to a townhouse fire near Manassas in the 7600 block of Monitor Court. The fire started on the rear side of the home and was swiftly controlled, though the house sustained moderate damage and was deemed unsafe to occupy. One adult female was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, and the Red Cross is assisting four displaced adults. The exact cause is still under investigation.

On June 7, 2024, at 3:31 p.m., a townhouse fire broke out in the 12600 block of Dulcinea Place in Lake Ridge. Firefighters quickly controlled the heavy fire, which caused extensive damage and rendered the home unsafe to occupy. The fire, caused by combustible materials left too close to a burning stovetop, displaced two adults and one child. One occupant was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

More on all three incidents from Prince William fire and rescue: Read More

The Prince William County Chamber of Commerce held its 38th Annual Valor Awards hosted by Julianna Valencia from WRC-TV in Washington, D.C., celebrating the bravery and dedication of police, fire, and rescue workers. 

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The Prince William Board of County Supervisors has received an update on the county's Safe and Secure Communities Initiative, approved in 2022. The program, inspired by successful models in cities like Boston and Philadelphia, aims to address crime through a collaborative, data-driven approach involving multiple county departments, including police, fire and rescue, and the courts.

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