Police are conducting a criminal investigation after a fire destroyed a storage facility full of commercial equipment at the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department's Urban Search and Rescue training complex in Lorton.
Crews responded at approximately 5:20 p.m. on June 27 to reports of a large column of black smoke rising from the facility in the 9900 block of Furnace Road. They arrived to find the storage building fully engulfed. Surveillance cameras captured several individuals at the site around the time of the blaze. No civilians or firefighters were injured.
The Fairfax County Police Department and FCFRD jointly announced the investigation on June 29, releasing surveillance images and asking the public to help identify the people seen on video. Anyone who recognizes the individuals or has information can submit an anonymous tip through Fairfax Crime Solvers and may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $5,000.
The FCFRD said fire investigators are still working to determine the cause. The department has not publicly characterized the fire as suspicious or used the word "arson," though Fairfax County Police are conducting a parallel criminal investigation.
The fire occurred while the facility's primary users, Virginia Task Force 1, were deployed overseas. The county's 79-member urban search and rescue team was in Venezuela at the time of the fire, pulling survivors from rubble after twin earthquakes that killed at least 1,719 people as of June 29, according to NBC News.
The training complex serves all of Fairfax County, including Reston residents who rely on FCFRD stations for emergency response. The department has not detailed the extent of the damage or replacement costs.
The investigation remains open with no announced timeline for updates.
How to submit a tip:
- Phone: 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477)
- Web: fairfaxcrimesolvers.org
- App: Download "P3 Tips" and select "Fairfax Co Crime Solvers"
Tipsters may remain anonymous. Those who want a fire investigator to follow up should leave contact information.
