Fairfax County Fire Rescue personnel will be out on the streets in Reston and the rest of Fairfax County this weekend as part of the annual Fill The Boot campaign. The fundraiser benefits the Greater Washington Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Fairfax County has been taking part in the fundraiser for 30 years, and for the pst eight has consistently finished among the top three in the nation for amount collected during the weekend campaign. Fairfax has frequently topped such large cities as Houston and Los Angeles.
During the 2013 Labor Day weekend campaign, Fairfax County collected over $602,000 for Greater Washington MDA, which was the highest amount collected by any municipality in the US and Canada in 2013. It also was the highest amount collected at any time in the 59-year history of Fill the Boot nationwide.
Firefighters will be out with the boots from Friday to Monday at controlled intersections all over Fairfax County and the Town of Clifton.
Proceeds raised during the campaign help support MDA services and research programs in the Washington, D.C. area, including MDA’s annual camp for kids affected by neuromuscular disease and outpatient clinics for people with more than 40 neuromuscular diseases at Children’s National Medical Center and Georgetown University Hospital.
Photo courtesy of MDA
Update: Neighbors of the family at 2050 Golf Course Drive said the cat missing in Monday’s townhouse fire has been safely found.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue firefighters rescued one cat from the fire, which broke out Monday afternoon at 2052 Golf Course Drive. The fire, which is still under investigation, caused $180,000 of damage to several townhouses.
The rescued cat was given oxygen at the scene and taken to an animal hospital while firefighters tried to locate the other one.
Firefighters said at the scene that cats are likely to go under furniture in a situation such as a fire. That helps them as there is more air low to the ground.
Neighbors said the missing cat has been reunited with his owners.
Photo: Firefighter examines Marcus, who was rescued from a fire on Golf Course Drive on Monday. His feline companion was located safely on Tuesday.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue officials said improperly discarded smoking materials caused a fire that destroyed two townhouses and damaged four others in the McNair Farms section of Herndon Sunday night.
Units were called to the 2400 block of Wheat Meadow Circle at 7:05 p.m.
Firefighters encountered heavy smoke and fire coming from two floors of the three-level, middle of the row townhouse upon arrival, Fairfax County Fire Rescue said. The Incident Commander quickly called a second alarm, bringing more than 60 firefighters to the scene.
Despite firefighters conducting an aggressive fire attack, the fire had spread to several adjacent townhomes. It took firefighters 45 minutes to bring the fire under control. Occupants from several townhomes all escaped unharmed. Firefighters also conducted extensive overhaul and salvage operations.
Nine occupants have been displaced and are receiving assistance from the American Red Cross.
Damage estimate for all six townhomes is estimated at $900,000.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue is investigating the cause of a fire that broke out about 1:20 p.m. Tuesday at 11410 Summer House Ct. in Reston.
The fire began in the garage on the townhouse, said FCFD spokesman Jason Jenkins. There were no injuries, he added.
Flames were showing from the garage when firefighters arrived on the scene, he said.
Video of blaze can be found on this CNN iReport.
