News

As Hurricane Helene intensifies and approaches Florida’s Big Bend with the potential to become a major Category 4 hurricane, swift water rescue teams from Virginia are mobilizing to assist with the expected impacts.

The Prince William County Swift Water Rescue Team, a FEMA Type 3 team comprising six technicians and a Battalion Chief, was activated by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) and deployed to Norton, Virginia. They left at 10:00 AM today from the Prince William Public Safety Training Center, aiming to coordinate with local authorities and manage water rescues in hurricane flood waters.


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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.


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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.


Breaking News

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.


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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.


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