Occoquan Woodbridge Lorton VFD responds to Exxon Gas Station Fire.  

Woodbridge, VA October 21, 2011 — 11:56pm Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton Volunteer Firefighters responded to the report of a Commercial Structure Fire at 3514 Old Bridge Road, Woodbridge.  OWL VFD Engine 514 arrived on scene within minutes. Engine 514’s officer reported heavy fire from the car wash and would be making an attack on the fire.  Prince William Communications Center then notified units that Prince William County Police Department was working an armed robbery at the same location, however the scene was secure.  Next arriving units assisted with fire attack bringing the fire under control within minutes.  There were no injuries.

Fire and Rescue units from OWL VFD, Dale City VFD responded to the incident.  The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

OWL VFD is one the largest and busiest volunteer fire departments in the United States with over 300 members. OWL VFD provides fire suppression, EMS care, and rescue services to 80,000 residents in our 27 square mile area through the operation of three fire stations. OWL volunteer Firefighters and EMTs work the 6 pm to 6 am shift, five days a week, plus 24/7 holidays and weekends. 

For more information on OWL VFD, visit www.owlvfd.org or become a fan on Facebook at Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton Volunteer Fire Department.

CHESTERFIELD, VA (WWBT) – A ten year old boy is still recovering in the hospital after he caught on fire at a gas station Tuesday morning. Fire officials believe a static discharge is to blame. But it’s those who helped the boy in his time of need who fire officials are is focusing on.

via NBC12 News, Weather Sports, Traffic, and Programming Guide for Richmond, VA | Strangers help victim of gas pump fire.

3 videos of the 2 alarm fire in Falls Church. One by Dave Statter.

MARTINSVILLE, Va. – The Martinsville Fire Marshal’s Office has concluded its investigation of the fire that destroyed the IDL Market convenience store located at 1012 Liberty Street in Martinsville on the evening of Sunday, December 28.

Evidence and information gathered during the investigation indicates that the fire was accidental in nature. Due to the extensive damage to the structure, investigators were unable to determine the exact point of origin. However, the area of origin has been narrowed to the space between the ceiling tiles and the attic in the kitchen area of the building.
“The eyewitness statements, the time-frame in which the fire spread and the reports from police and firefighters who arrived at the scene early, combined with the burn patterns and other evidence gathered at the scene support our original theory that the fire was an unfortunate incident. The fire does not, in any way, appear suspicious in nature. The only possible sources of ignition that existed in the area of origin were electrical. Therefore, we believe the fire was started by an electrical problem,” said Martinsville Fire Marshal Ted Anderson.
The fire engulfed the building causing complete destruction of the structure and all of its contents. The damage to the structure and contents is estimated to exceed $325,000 in value. The owner of the building, Charles “Chuck” Minter, has indicated that he plans to rebuild the structure and continue a lease agreement with Farhan Nazir, as the manager of the store.

MARTINSVILLE, Va. – The Martinsville Fire Marshal’s Office is continuing its investigation of a fire that destroyed the IDL Market convenience store located at 1012 Liberty Street in Martinsville on the evening of Sunday, December 28.
The call came in to the 911 Communications Center at 8:27 p.m. When firefighters responded to the scene the fire was fully engulfed. Due to the intensity of the smoke and flames, firefighters used a defensive strategy to surround and extinguish the fire as quickly as possible without having to send a firefighter inside the building.
The store is owned by Charles “Chuck” Minter of Martinsville. Farhan Nazir is the manager and leases the building from Mr. Minter. Nazir and a store clerk, along with two to three customers were present when the fire broke out. Everyone was able to escape the building without further incident. Employees tried to fight the fire with a hand-held extinguisher, but quickly abandoned the effort when the fire started to grow and spread rapidly. The fire completely engulfed the building causing heavy damage to the entire structure, including the collapse of the roof. Damage to the building is estimated at $200,000, with another $50,000 or more in damage to contents of the structure. However, these are only initial estimates.
“The investigation is ongoing and probably will be for a while longer. We cannot say conclusively what caused the fire or where the precise point of origin is, at this time. However, so far we have not found any surprises. The burn patterns appear to be consistent with the eyewitness accounts from store employees and customers who were present at the time the fire occurred,” said Martinsville Fire Marshal Ted Anderson.
The Martinsville Fire Department would like to thank the many professionals and volunteers from other neighboring agencies who assisted in fighting the fire. This includes an estimated 50 volunteers from the Axton, Dyers Store, Collinsville, and Fieldale Volunteer Departments. Stone Ambulance Service also provided assistance at the scene. The Martinsville Police Department handled traffic control and the Martinsville Electric Department disconnected utility service to the building, making it safer for firefighters to fight the blaze. Two ladder trucks, one from Martinsville and another from the Collinsville Volunteer Fire Department were utilized to fight the fire from high above the ground, allowing firefighters to stay a safe distance from the blaze.
Further updates will be released as soon as more information is available.

Update on convenience store fire here

Photos by Martinsville Police Department and the Public Information Office

MARTINSVILLE, Va. – The Martinsville Fire & EMS Department responded to a fire at the IDL Market convenience store located at 1012 Liberty Street in Martinsville earlier this evening.

The call came in to the 911 Communications Center at 8:27 p.m. When firefighters responded to the scene the fire was fully engulfed. The firefighters used a defensive strategy to surround and extinguish the fire as quickly as possible without having to send a firefighter inside the building. “Everyone was able to escape from the fire without injury. “With the fire being so intense, we felt it was far too dangerous to send anyone in. So we went with a defensive, surround and drown, strategy to fight the fire,” said Martinsville Fire Chief Kenneth Draper.
The store was open at the time of the fire. Employees saw smoke coming from the ceiling of the building and called for help. The fire completely engulfed the building causing heavy damage to the entire structure, including the collapse of the roof. The blaze briefly spread to a wooded area on a hillside behind the store. Firefighters were able to quickly contain and extinguish the related brush fire without further damage to any other properties. There were no injuries related to the fire. The fire was determined to be under control by 9:19 p.m.
The Martinsville Fire Marshal’s Office has started its investigation of the blaze. The exact origin and cause of the fire has not been determined at this time. Further updates will be released as soon as more information is available.

An early morning kitchen fire at the Fort Chiswell Flying J sent customers and employees fleeing Tuesday. It also drew the Max Meadows Volunteer Fire Department to the scene three times – twice after the flames rekindled.

According to fire chief David Morris, his department responded to the initial fire around 2:45 a.m. The fire, he said, started in the grill in the kitchen area, traveled into the hood system, spread into the ceiling of the cooking area and into the ceiling over the women’s rest room.

Fire closes truck stop – SWVAToday.com.