A Prince William County Fire Marshal attributes a townhouse fire in Woodbridge to improper propane grill use. The damage was limited to the home’s exterior, and the Red Cross assisted displaced residents.
Press release:
Townhouse Fire
Monday, August 26, 2024
9:02 AM
This morning units were dispatched to the 1600 blk of Devil Lane (Woodbridge) for a caller reporting their fence was on a fire. Crews arrived quickly and located a fire to the rear of a townhome threatening an adjoining unit. The fire was extinguished limiting damage primarily to the exterior of the homes and the surrounding deck and fence. No injuries were reported. The Building Official did declare one of the homes unsafe to occupy requiring the Red Cross to assist two (2) adults and one (1) child. The Fire Marshal’s office determined the improper use of a propane grill igniting combustibles next to it caused the fire.
The Fire Marshal’s Office reminds everyone to use grills as they are designed to operate. Use only recommended fuels for the type of grill being utilized. All grills should be kept a minimum of 10-15 feet away from your home or other combustible materials. Enjoy the grill but use it safely.
Fire and rescue units responded to a townhouse fire on William Harris Way in the Rippon area of Woodbridge. Smoke was visible, and all occupants were safely evacuated. The basement-origin fire was quickly extinguished without injuries, though the home was deemed unsafe. Three adults were displaced, and the American Red Cross assisted.
Press release:
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The Prince William County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating two incidents of illegally dumping 55-gallon drums containing waste on Reid Lane in Nokesville, posing significant environmental risks.
The Hazardous Materials Team secured the site, and the removal of the drums is being handled by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Press release:
The Prince William County Fire Marshal’s Office is currently investigating two past separate incidents of illegal abandonment of multiple 55-gallon drums containing a waste product on Reid Lane in the Nokesville area. This type of dumping poses significant environmental threats.
Upon receiving citizen complaints regarding these drums, the Hazardous Materials Team and the Fire Marshal’s Office promptly secured the drums and ensured there would be no impacts to the environment. It was determined that the barrels were located on state-managed property. Accordingly, the responsibility for their removal rested with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VADEQ) and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). The Fire Marshal’s Office maintained close communication with these agencies to ensure the removal of the drums.
Assistant Chief Matt Smolsky, Chief Fire Marshal of Prince William County, emphasized the critical role of community vigilance and cooperation: “We are committed to investigating and mitigating any potential hazards to our community promptly”. The public is being asked to contact the Fire Marshal’s Office at 703-792-6360 if you have any information regarding the incidents described above.
Any information about the illegal dumping could assist in the investigation and/or prosecution. Intentional release or intentional dumping of hazardous materials is a class one misdemeanor, and if convicted, an individual could be fined up to $2500 and face up to a year in jail.
If you observe any illegal dumping, please report it immediately. If you see something, say something by calling 911.
On Monday, August 12, 2024, fire and rescue crews from Prince William and Fairfax counties were dispatched to Mountcastle-Turch Funeral Home in Woodbridge’s 13400 block of Woodbridge Street. The call was received at 10:23 a.m. after reports of extra smoke coming from the funeral home’s chimney and garage.
Upon arrival, crews investigated the source of the smoke and found a malfunctioning crematorium. Initial information from the scene indicated that a body was being cremated at the facility. No injuries were reported in connection with the incident.
The units cleared the area at 10:40 a.m.
Mountcastle-Turch Funeral Home & Crematory provides funeral and cremation services to Woodbridge and Dale City residents.
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
— ??????? ???? ?????? (@LoudounFire) August 1, 2024
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.
