Monthly Archives: December 2010

Update on Public Storage fire

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From the Fairfax County Fire Department:

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department units responded to a commercial building fire Sunday, December 27, 2010, at approximately 11:40 a.m., in the Herndon area of Fairfax County. The structure, Public Storage, is located at 2921 Centreville Rd.
Firefighters encountered heavy fire and smoke coming from several open storage units located on the first level of the main building upon arrival. A second alarm was struck by the incident commander, which included the Hazardous Materials Response Team, bringing approximately 70 emergency personnel to the scene. The fire quickly spread to multiple individual storage units and subsequently the second floor of the main building collapsed. The two-story building contained 200 storage units, approximately 75 percent of those units received varying amounts of damage, including smoke, fire, and water damage. Due to the collapse of the second floor and emminent additional collapses, crews were pulled out of the interior of the structure and conducted an exterior fire attack. It took firefighters several hours to bring the fire under control. After the fire was brought under control, firefighters remained on scene to perform overhaul and salvage operations and douse multiple spontaneous flare-ups. One adult received a non-life threatening injury and was treated at the scene.

Damage is estimated at $1.6 million.

According to fire investigators, the cause of the fire was accidental. A halogen lamp placed too close to combustible materials caused the fire.

Halogen Lamp Safety Tips

  • Always buy a certified lamp such as the Underwriters Laboratories or CSA International, as they provide standards to ensure safety
  • Keep combustible materials at least three feet from halogen lamps and consider not using them in areas where they might be tipped or overturned.
  • Never place lamps near windows, beds, or an area where fabric may hang near the top of the lamp.
  • Before using the light, ensure you are using the recommended bulb; the wrong bulb can cause the lamp to shatter.
  • Shut off the lamp when you leave the room or area.

January 2011 Events in Franklin Farm

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01/01/2011 New Year’s Day 2011.
01/03/2011 Christmas trees collected.
01/03/2011 Yard debris collected on Tuesdays and Fridays with trash in Jan/Feb.
01/03/2011 Foundation office reopens at 9 a.m.
01/04/2011 Architectural Review Board, 6:30 p.m.
01/06/2011 Open Space Committee, 7 p.m.
01/10/2011 Christmas trees collected.
01/10/2011 Deadline for advertisements and articles for February “Almanac.”
01/11/2011 Tennis Committee, 7:30 p.m.
01/13/2011 Financial Advisory Committee, 7:30 p.m.
01/17/2011 Foundation Office closed for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
01/18/2011 Zoning, Land Use & Transportation Committee, 7:30 p.m.
01/19/2011 Board of Trustees, 7:30 p.m.
01/25/2011 ARB applications for February 1 meeting due in office by 12 noon.
01/31/2011 All Christmas lights/decorations must be removed from FF houses.

Storage unit facility burns on Centreville Road

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From NBCWashington.com today:

Flames gutted a storage unit near Dulles Airport on Sunday.

The two-alarm fire jumped from the first to second floor at the storage facility in Herndon, Va.  A column of smoke visible from 6 miles away hung over the scene throughout  the afternoon.

One civilian sustained minor burns and was quickly released from the hospital.

Firefighters required several hours to subdue all hot spots.  Centreville Road was shut down during the operation.

No cause for the blaze was immediately identified.

Update 12/29/10 – This is the storage facility located north of the Open Door Presbyterian Church. The main building on the north side was the building that was damaged.

January 2011 events planned at Frying Pan Park

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1/10/2011

Little Hands on the Farm (2-3 year olds)
Location: Frying Pan Park
Start Time/Day: 9:45am Mon
Join us in the barn to meet a farm animal, enjoy a story, craft or game, and pretend to be the famer with fun ‘chores’. Each program is different. Pre-paid reservations required.

1/10/2011

Little Hands on the Farm(3-5 year olds)
Location: Frying Pan Park
Start Time/Day: 11am Mon
Join us in the barn to meet a farm animal, enjoy a story, craft or game, and pretend to be the farmer with fun ‘chores’. Each program is different.

1/24/2011

Little Hands on the Farm (2-3 year olds)
Location: Frying Pan Park
Start Time/Day: 9:45am Mon
Join us in the barn to meet a farm animal, enjoy a story, craft or game, and pretend to be the famer with fun ‘chores’. Each program is different. Pre-paid reservations required.

1/24/2011

Little Hands on the Farm(3-5 year olds)
Location: Frying Pan Park
Start Time/Day: 11am Mon
Join us in the barn to meet a farm animal, enjoy a story, craft or game, and pretend to be the farmer with fun ‘chores’. Each program is different.

1/30/2011

Groundhog’s Day Out
Location: Frying Pan Park
Start Time/Day: 2pm Sun
Groundhog Day comes a little early at Frying Pan Farm Park! Visit a groundhog burrow. Learn about groundhogs and other ways to predict the weather. Enjoy crafts, games and hot chocolate. Dress for the weather. Children must be accompanied by a registered adult.

Fire destroys house in Chantilly

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From the Fairfax County Fire Department:

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department units responded to a house fire Sunday, December 19, 2010, at approximately 8:55 p.m., in the Chantilly area of Fairfax County. The single-family home is located at 4303 Lees Corner Road.

Firefighters were initially dispatched for an outside gas leak in the area; however, they were quickly redirected for a reported explosion and house fire. Upon arrival, firefighters saw heavy smoke and fire coming from the home, and within a few minutes, the two-story home was fully involved with fire. Firefighters performed an exterior attack on the fire due to the heavy fire and unsafe, deteriorating conditions inside the home. A subsequent second alarm was struck, bringing approximately 60 firefighters to the scene. All four occupants inside the home escaped unharmed. Two adjacent homes received minor residual damage, and several nearby large trees caught fire. Several homes nearby were evacuated due to the potential of gas in the area and the earlier explosion. The fire was brought under control in approximately one hour. Brookfield Elementary School was temporarily opened for residents evacuated from their homes. Red Cross assistance is being provided. There were no injuries.

The home is a total loss.

The fire is under investigation.

The house is outside of Oak Hill, south of Lee Jackson Memorial Highway.

Boy Scouts selling luminaries on 12/19 in Fox Mill

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From the Fox Mill Estates web site we read:
The Boy Scouts and Troop 159 will be selling luminaries this Sunday (12/19) from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm in the parking lot of the Fox Mill Pool on Viking Drive. The cost will be $7.00 and that will include 10 candles and 10 luminary bags. The luminaries are traditionally placed in front of your home (along the street and/or driveway) on Christmas Eve.
The proceeds from these sales help support the Boy Scouts and Troop 159.

Neuter and return program for feral cats

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Have feral cat nearby?

*NEUTER AND RETURN PROGRAM: The Fairfax County Animal Shelter has altered its
1000th feral cat marking the success of its two-year-old trap, neuter and return (TNR) program,
which includes humanely trapping, spaying, neutering and vaccinating feral cats, then returning
them to their outdoor homes. The goals of the program are to decrease the following numbers;
unwanted kittens born each year to outdoor cats; the intake of cats and kittens at the shelter; and
the euthanasia of cats in Fairfax County. As part of the TNR program, the Fairfax County
Animal Shelter provides free spay/neuter and vaccinations for feral cats who reside in Fairfax
County. The program is funded by private donations from the sale of the Virginia Department of
Motor Vehicles Animal Friendly License Plates. For each plate purchased by a Fairfax County
resident, $15 is donated back to the shelter, which is using the money, in part, for TNR. More
than 230 citizens have attended the shelter’s Helping Community Cats classes to become eligible
to use the resources offered by the shelter’s program for outdoor cats.
Citizens who attend the classes are trained how to perform TNR and become part of a “citizen
army” of trappers, transporters and caregivers who provide ongoing management for feral cat
colonies. “We estimate that the TNR program has prevented somewhere between 3,000 and
6,000 litters of kittens from being born,” says Karen Diviney, director of the Fairfax County
Animal Shelter. “Our hope is that in time, we will start to see this program translate into fewer
cats coming into our shelter and fewer homeless cats being euthanized in our community.” To be
eligible for the shelter’s TRN program, citizens must first attend the Helping Community Cats
Workshops held twice monthly in Fairfax County. For more information about attending an
upcoming class or about TNR, please contact the shelter at 703-830-1100.

Holiday events at Frying Pan Park

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12/13/2010

Little Hands on the Farm (2-3 year olds)
Location: Frying Pan Park
Start Time/Day: 9:45am Mon
Join us in the barn to meet a farm animal, enjoy a story, craft or game, and pretend to be the farmer with fun ‘chores’. Each program is different. Pre-paid reservations required.

12/13/2010

Little Hands on the Farm(3-5 year olds)
Location: Frying Pan Park
Start Time/Day: 11am Mon
Join us in the barn to meet a farm animal, enjoy a story, craft or game, and pretend to be the farmer with fun ‘chores’. Each program is different.

12/28/2010

Magic Toy Shop Puppet Show
Location: Frying Pan Park
Start Time/Day: 10am Tue
Bring your holiday guests and join Master Puppeteer Bob Brown in a brand new production of Magic Toyshop which highlights Carl and his incredible Crayola Calliope, the Block Brothers, Bobby and Boris and many more surprises. Children must be accompanied by a registered adult.

12/28/2010

Magic Toy Shop Puppet Show
Location: Frying Pan Park
Start Time/Day: 11:30am Tue
Bring your holiday guests and join Master Puppeteer Bob Brown in a brand new production of Magic Toyshop which highlights Carl and his incredible Crayola Calliope, the Block Brothers, Bobby and Boris and many more surprises. Children must be accompanied by a registered adult.