Firefighters Put Out Brush Fire Close to Railroad Tracks Near Kingstowne

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA -- Firefighters put out a fire near railroad tracks Friday afternoon between West End Alexandria and Kingstowne, according to Fairfax County Fire and Rescue.

At approximately 4 p.m. on Friday, units from Fire Station 26, Edsall Road and Fire Station 5, Franconia, were dispatched for a reported outside fire in the 6400 block of Stephenson Way (see map below) in the Alexandria area of the County.

Units arrived to find a large brush fire involving the west side of the Norfolk and Southern railroad tracks. Access was difficult for firefighters as they had to utilize ground ladders to access the track, the fire department said. Firefighters then had to deploy 700 feet of an 1 ¾ inch hand-line to assist with extinguishing the fire.

Both the Norfolk and Southern, Virginia Rail, and the CSX railroads were contacted to ensure all train traffic was shut down to safeguard all emergency response personnel. Flaggers were utilized at both the north and south ends of the rail to ensue incident safety.

There were no reported injuries to civilians or firefighters.

Approximate location of brush fire Friday afternoon (Google maps):

PHOTO courtesy of Fairfax County Fire and Rescue