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Several people were hurt after a large scrap metal debris pile caught fire in Lorton, Virginia, leading police to shut down Route 1 on Tuesday afternoon, according to Fairfax County Fire and Rescue.
Firefighters extinguished the fire at a scrap metal facility in the 9900 block of Richmond Highway, according to the department, after “delayering” and cooling all the material in the pile. Hazmat crews are monitoring the air near the industrial area.
A shelter-in-place advisory was in effect until Tuesday evening.
When firefighters first got to the scene at around 1 p.m., they encountered a worker at the site who was trapped in a crane elevated about 40 feet in the air.
“Our initial units were able to climb that tower, access the person, and, utilizing some of our aerial devices, effect a rescue, removing that individual from the crane,” Deputy Chief Greg Hunter said.
That worker was airlifted to the hospital, where he’s receiving treatment for critical injuries, Hunter said.
At least six other people were injured, including at least one firefighter. The firefighter who was hurt was taken to a hospital and is in stable condition, Hunter said. That firefighter is associated with the Fort Belvoir Fire Department.
According to Hunter, high winds were pushing the smoke down and in several different directions, exposing many people on the site to the dense, toxic fumes.
Hunter said firefighters were able to use foam to contain the blaze, and, as of 5 p.m., were “delayering” the pile of scrap metal and cooling the hot materials with water. That process was complete before 6:30 p.m.
Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the fire.
Drivers could see heavy smoke from Route 1; WTOP Traffic reporter Dave Dildine said the road was closed in both directions near Giles Run Road as firefighters worked to control the fire.
Below is the area where it happened:
WTOP’s Scott Gelman contributed to this report.
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