Fire and Rescue

Press Release

Five Displaced on Easter After Fire on Smith Street in Stafford

By Potomac Local News
Firefighters gather outside a single-story home in the 400 block of Smith Street after quickly bringing a structure fire under control. Five people were displaced in the April 20, 2025 blaze. Photo courtesy: Stafford County Fire and Rescue Department

A fire on Easter evening displaced five residents from a single-family home in the 400 block of Smith Street, near Brooke Road in Stafford County. Fire and rescue crews from Stafford and Fredericksburg responded to the scene just before 6 p.m. and quickly brought the blaze under control within 20 minutes.

One person was home at the time and safely evacuated after being alerted by neighbors. Two individuals were treated on scene for minor smoke inhalation. The American Red Cross is assisting the displaced residents. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Stafford County Fire Marshal’s Office.

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Manassas

Fire Damages Apartment on Oliver Court in Manassas; Four Displaced

By Potomac Local News
Emergency crews work to extricate a driver from a pickup truck after it was struck by an Amtrak train at a railroad crossing on Bristow Road near Manassas on Tuesday, April 15, 2025. The driver was transported to a regional hospital with injuries. No one on board the train was hurt. Photo courtesy of Prince William County Fire and Rescue.

MANASSAS, Va. — Firefighters from the City of Manassas, Manassas Park, and Prince William County responded to an apartment fire this afternoon at 8872 Oliver Court, just off Liberia Avenue, where smoke was seen billowing from a second-story unit in a three-story building.

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Breaking News

Amtrak Train Collides with Pickup Truck at Bristow Crossing; Driver Hospitalized

By Potomac Local News
Emergency crews work to extricate a driver from a pickup truck after it was struck by an Amtrak train at a railroad crossing on Bristow Road near Manassas on Tuesday, April 15, 2025. The driver was transported to a regional hospital with injuries. No one on board the train was hurt. Photo courtesy of Prince William County Fire and Rescue.

BRISTOW, Va. — A pickup truck driver was hospitalized Tuesday morning after a collision with an Amtrak train near the Bristow Road railroad crossing, just south of Manassas.

According to Prince William County Fire and Rescue, the crash occurred at 9:21 a.m. on April 15, 2025. A southbound Amtrak train had departed Manassas Station only minutes before when it struck a privately owned pickup truck at the crossing on Bristow Road, east of Nokesville Road.

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Breaking News

BREAKING: Small Plane Crashes in Spotsylvania County, Two Occupants Injured

By Potomac Local News

A small plane crashed Wednesday afternoon in a residential area of Spotsylvania County, marking the third major emergency response in the region this week.

Virginia State Police say the crash occurred around 3:08 p.m. in the 11000 block of Scarlett Oak Road, in the Chancellor area of the county, about six miles west of the Spotsylvania Towne Centre mall.

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Breaking News

Crews Respond to Major Gas Leak Outside Manassas at QTS Data Center

By Uriah Kiser

Emergency crews remained on scene late into the evening Monday after a major gas leak was reported at the QTS data center just outside the City of Manassas.

Prince William County Fire and Rescue was dispatched to 9540 Godwin Drive at 2:10 p.m. for reports of a gas leak. As of 9 p.m., units were still actively working the scene.

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Breaking News

Sprinkler System Prevents Major Damage in Woodbridge Townhouse Fire

By Uriah Kiser

A fire that broke out Wednesday afternoon in a Woodbridge townhouse could have turned into a devastating incident—but thanks to a working sprinkler system, it was largely brought under control before it could spread.

At around 4 p.m. on March 26, 2025, fire and rescue crews were dispatched to the 14700 block of Mason Creek Circle, near Potomac Library on Opitz Boulevard, for reports of a townhouse fire. When units arrived, they found a fire at the rear of a set of double-stacked townhomes, with flames stretching from the ground level up to the attic.

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Fredericksburg

Public Safety Training at School Involved Many Agencies

By Mike Salmon

Multiple agencies gathered at Walker-Grant Middle School in Fredericksburg for a semiannual exercise on Friday, March 7, but the doors were closed to keep plans from reaching the wrong eyes.

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Manassas

Fire Marshal: Cause of Waterford Drive House Fire Undetermined

By Uriah Kiser
[Photo: Manassas fire and rescue]

According to Manassas City spokesman Jeremy Beale, the City Fire Marshal’s Office investigated the fire but was unable to determine what sparked the flames.

Firefighters responded to the home at 100201 Waterford Drive, near Clover Hill Road, at approximately 5:05 p.m. on February 14. Upon arrival, crews found heavy fire spreading through the second floor of the three-story residence. The roof collapsed during the firefighting efforts, but no residents were injured as all occupants, including a dog, evacuated safely before emergency responders arrived.

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Press Release

OmniRide Bus Catches Fire on I-95 in Woodbridge After Flat Tire

By Uriah Kiser
[Photo: Prince William Professional Firefighters Facebook Page]

The incident occurred around 3:45 p.m. on March 4, 2025, when OmniRide coach number 3005, returning to Washington, D.C., after dropping off passengers in Spotsylvania County, experienced a flat tire. There were no passengers on board at the time.

According to OmniRide, the bus operator safely pulled over and contacted dispatch for further instructions. However, the flat tire wrapped around the axle and began to smoke, ultimately leading to a fire that spread throughout the vehicle. By the time fire services arrived, the coach was engulfed in flames.

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