FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — Fairfax County fire and police investigators are asking for the public's help identifying several people seen on surveillance video as they investigate a fire that damaged the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department's Urban Search and Rescue training facility in Lorton.
The fire broke out Saturday, June 27, at about 5:20 p.m. at the department's Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) training facility in the 9900 block of Furnace Road, according to the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department.
Firefighters responded after reports of a large column of black smoke and arrived to find a large storage building containing commercial equipment fully involved in flames. No civilians or firefighters were injured.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by Fairfax County fire investigators. The Fairfax County Police Department has also opened a criminal investigation.
On Monday evening, authorities released surveillance images showing several individuals who were at the facility around the time the fire started. Investigators are asking anyone who recognizes the individuals or has information about the incident to come forward.
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Tips can be submitted anonymously through Fairfax County Crime Solvers by calling 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477), online at www.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org, or through the P3 Tips app by selecting "Fairfax Co Crime Solvers." Anonymous tipsters may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000. Investigators also encourage people to provide contact information if they are willing to speak directly with a fire investigator.
The Lorton facility is used by Fairfax County's Urban Search and Rescue team, known as Virginia Task Force 1, to train for disaster response missions in Virginia, across the United States and around the world.
At the time of the fire, members of the team were deployed to assist with recovery efforts following the recent earthquake in Venezuela.
Authorities have not released additional information about the extent of the damage or whether the fire has affected training operations.
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Lorton, VA Patch
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