A Great Falls home fire on Saturday, Sept. 28 was caused by an electrical event, according to investigators.

An investigation by the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department found that the fire, which caused nearly $55,000 in damages, found that the fire was accidental in nature. It began on the outside of the one-story, single-family home after an electrical event linked to the outside flood. light.

Two residents, who were at home during the fire, were displaced. Red Cross assistance was offered but declined.

The fire happened at around 2:19 a.m. No civilian or firefighter injuries were reported

Staff from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department’s Station 25 in Reston helped Germany’s Office of Defense Administration (ODA) celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Crews showed off their fire trucks and offered tips on fall and winter fire safety at the event, which happened on September 5 in Reston. The celebration included games and activities.

FCFRD wrote the following about the event:

Crews showed off the fire trucks as well as highlighting fall and winter fire safety tips. The festivities included German cuisine as well as various games and activities.

We were honored to be presented challenge coins from the leadership of the ODA. Visitors from the superior agency in Germany were present as well.

All three shifts look forward to continuing this special shared partnership with our neighbors in Reston.

The ODA, which is located in Reston, is an agency subordinate to the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-service Support.

Photo via FCFRD

A temporary fire station in Reston is almost ready for fire and rescue personnel to use while they await their new, permanent station.

Built in the early 1970s, Reston Fire and Rescue Station 25 is set to get demolished this fall and replaced with a new fire station at 1820 Wiehle Avenue.

Construction is set to begin later this year on the new fire station, which will more than double the size of the current department. The project is expected to cost $14.8 million.

“We are not planning a groundbreaking as this new permanent station is a replacement station not a new one to Fairfax County,” Ashley Hildebrandt, a fire department spokesperson, told Reston Now. “We will have a grand opening once the station is built.”

Until the new fire station is finished, fire and rescue personnel will use a temporary fire station at 1800 Cameron Glen Drive near the North County Government Center.

The temporary station consists of trailers and a large tent.

“The temporary fire station is in the final stages of construction,” Hildebrandt said. “Personnel are preparing to move into the temporary station in October.”

Crews worked to extinguish a fire on the second floor an apartment building on the 12000 block of Greywing Square around 8:45 a.m. today.

The fire, which was contained to the kitchen area of the unit, was extinguished around 9 a.m.

All occupants in the building were evacuated and no injuries were reported.

Units on scene of garden apartment fire 12000 block of Greywing Square in Reston area. Crews working to extinguish a fire in 2nd floor apartment. All occupants reported out. #FCFRD #FairfaxCounty pic.twitter.com/Bsqvh0xGSJ

— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) August 21, 2019

UPDATE: garden apartment fire 12000 block of Greywing Square in Reston area. No extension of fire. Most units are returning to service. No reported injuries at this time. #FCFRD #FairfaxCounty pic.twitter.com/ylB7KFpGy8

— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) August 21, 2019

A small fire broke out on the roof of a business in North Point Village Center (1452 Reston Parkway) yesterday (Wednesday).

The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department contained the fire, which broke out around 5:30 p.m. that day.

Two medic units were dispatched to the scene, but no injuries were reported.

The fire happened on the roof line of the former Boston Market, which closed last month.

No other information about the incident was immediately available.  The cause of the incident has not yet been determined.

Photo by Alex Schneider

Local crews are tackling a gas leak on the 11500 block of Commerce Park Drive.

According to the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, crews from Washington Gas have clamped the leak, which is suspected to have struck a 2” gas line.

No injuries were reported.

Local fire and rescue crews are now going in to service the area.

This story will be updated.

UPDATE gas leak in the 11500 block of Commerce Park Drive in the Reston area. @washingtongas on scene and have clamped leak. No injuries. #FCFRD units going in service. pic.twitter.com/dMTyfB92of

— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) August 8, 2019

Photo via @ffxfirerescue/Twitter

Recent pool-goers at the Pinecrest Swim and Tennis Club in Herndon might have noticed firefighters wearing their gear and uniforms for training in the water.

Units from the First Battalion on B-Shift completed various activities for self-survival and victim water rescue training, according to a Fairfax County Fire and Rescue post.

“All personnel swam two laps of the pool giving unit officers the ability to evaluate the swimming skills of each member,” according to the post. “This is valuable information to have ahead of being called to a water-related emergency as the officer now knows who their strong swimmers are and who to place in the water for victim rescue.”

More from the fire department:

Personnel then participated in backboard training with the lifeguard staff from the pool. They learned the actions lifeguards take to secure a victim to a backboard when they are suspected of a spinal injury from a pool mishap.

Finally, personnel donned structural firefighting gear and walked off the pool’s edge into the water to feel the impact of falling into [the] water while wearing the protective clothing.

Firefighters conduct a variety of tasks inside and outside a structure while operating at a house fire and many of the residences have swimming pools. A firefighter falling into the water with gear on poses a significant safety concern due to the added weight as the gear tends to pull firefighters under the water. The training today was conducted to provide firefighters with techniques on how to react and exit a pool should they face this situation while operating on an incident scene.

Recently, units from 1st Battalion on B-Shift participated in training at @pinecrestpool. Personnel completed various activities as part of the training geared towards self-survival and victim water rescue. Learn what they did: https://t.co/KDi7OGMFVS #FCFRD #FairfaxCounty pic.twitter.com/19KiN7HIn5

— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) August 6, 2019

Photo via Fairfax County Fire and Rescuefire

A house fire on the 600 block of Pemberton Court in the Town of Herndon on Tuesday (July 30) caused nearly $50,000 in damages.

The homeowner and the homeowner’s son — who were at home during the incident — evacuated the area before the fire department arrived. No injuries were reported.

The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department’s investigators believe a malfunctioning ceiling fan in a covered screen porch caused the fire.

“The cause of the fire involved an electrical event in the junction box of a ceiling fan,” the department wrote.

Three residents were displaced because of the fire. Red Cross Services were accepted by the family.

Photos via FCFRD

New Pop-Ups at Reston Farmers Market — The market, which is held on Wednesdays between 3-7 p.m. through Nov. 27, will feature Bon Becca and It’s Baking Day, two pop-up businesses. Mike Henry will also join the market to play some tunes. The market takes place at St. John Neumann Church. [Reston Farmers Market]

Energy Surge Causes Minor Fire — Local fire and rescue crews put out a small building fire at the 1800 block of Samuel Morse Drive. No injuries were reported. Lightning reportedly struck a power transformer next to the building, leading to an energy surge. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department]

Fractal Industries Breaks New Ground —  “A whole new ballgame is beginning for Reston-based Fractal Industries. The analytics and insurance software provider today announced it closed its Series A funding round totaling $78.6 million, led by Cannae Holdings and Motive Partners. Coinciding with the fresh round, the company changed its name to QOMPLX. The tech firm will use the capital to expand its headcount – currently at about 100 – and accelerate growth.” [American Inno]

Photo submitted by Christian Bolus

Why Phase Two of the Silver Line Has More Problems — “Officials were confident construction of Phase 2 would be much smoother. They were using a different contractor, there were fewer construction challenges, and they had learned many lessons from the first phase. Fast-forward five years, and construction of the final portion of the $5.8 billion rail line, which was expected to be wrapped up next month, may not be completed until next spring or summer. Trains that were originally set to begin running in January probably won’t start carrying passengers until mid-to-late 2020.” [The Washington Post]

INOVA Blood Drive in the Area Today — The bloodmobile will be parked at the pavilion in RTC from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. today. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 1-866-256-6372 or in-person. [Reston Town Center]

Dive into Disaster Preparedness — Receive basic training on how to prepare for local disasters and hazards, as well as basic disaster response skills, at the county’s Fire and Rescue Academy. Classes will take place between August and September on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7-11 p.m. [Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department]

Farmers & Makers Market is Today — Local farmers and artisans come to Reston Town Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m to sell a variety of items. The market ends in November. [Reston Town Center]

Photo by Mike Reyes

Local fire and rescue crews were on the scene of a gas leak in Reston earlier this week.

A gas leak occurred on the 12100 block of Sunset Hills Road around a little before 10 p.m. this past Tuesday (July 9).

Hazmat crews opted to flare a tank — a technique that burns gas in the tank to reduce volume or lower internal pressure.

A spokesperson for the Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department told Reston Now that only the pressure relief valve was damaged.

“No buildings were evacuated as everything was under control,” the spokesperson said.

Last night, units on scene of gas leak in 12100 block Sunset Hills Rd, Reston. Underground 1000-gal propane tank leaking from pressure relief valve. Haz Mat opted to flare tank. Flaring is controlled burn of gas in tank to reduce volume or lower internal pressure to render safe. pic.twitter.com/USpKkBkz17

— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) July 10, 2019

A fire at a home in Great Falls caused nearly $1.3 million in damages on Saturday (June 29).

One firefighter suffered minor injuries and two residents were displaced after the fire broke out late Saturday night.

The incident happened on Clarks Branch Road in Great Falls. Firefighters were on the scene for several hours.

A spokesperson for the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department told Reston Now that the cause of the fire is unknown.

More updates will likely be available today, according to the spokesperson.

UPDATE from house fire on Clarks Branch Road in Great Falls: fire is under control. Crews are still hitting hot spots. Firefighters will be on scene for several more hours. #FCFRD #FairfaxCounty pic.twitter.com/NN9S7Y9TG0

— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) June 29, 2019

Photo via FCFRD/Twitter

Parents Respond to Herndon High School Porn Case — Concerned parents gathered this week to discuss the case of a former Herndon High School drama teacher who is accused of possessing child pornography and unlawful filming. Police believe Raphael Schklowsky may have also set up two cameras at the school. [WUSA 9]

Fireworks Safety Demonstration Tomorrow — As the Fourth of July approaches, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department is hosting a demonstration on how to safety use fireworks. The demonstration is set for 10 a.m. at the Fire and Rescue Training Academy. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department]

Free Yoga at Reston Station — Beloved Yoga will offer free yoga lessons today (Thursday) from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the plaza. [Reston Station]

Registration Deadline for Lake Anne Cardboard Boat Regatta — The deadline to register a boat to participate in the event is on Monday, July 1. The event is set to take place at Lake Anne on Saturday, August 10. [Reston Historic Trust & Museum]

Photo via vantagehill/Flickr

Fairfax County’s public safety agencies will begin using drones — technically called Unmanned Aircraft Systems — by early September.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Tuesday (May 21) to approve the program, which the county says will “provide an enhanced level of operational capability, safety and situational awareness.”

The county plans to purchase between six to eight devices, which cost $3,500 each. Costs are expected to be absorbed in the county’s existing budget.

The equipment will be used by the Office of Emergency Management, Fire and Rescue, Police and Sheriff in order to deliver “high-quality imagery, data and customized geospatial solutions,” according to the county.

The program will also be used to complete search and rescue, pre- and post-disaster damage assessment, crash reconstruction, and fire management.

County officials say the program will not be used to conduct random surveillance, target individuals solely based on individual characteristics or for personal business and other unauthorized uses.

The next three months will be spent setting up the program, certifying pilots and completing training. Drones will begin flying between late August and early September.

All pilots in the program must obtain a remote pilot certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Commission. A steering committee will be set up to oversee the program.

The county will also notify the public through Fairfax Alerts about missions and training flights.

The program was approved following the creation of a working group in May 2017 and a task force last year.

More information about the program is available online.

Photo by Jared Brashier