Fire at Fairfax USAR Training Facility Was Arson, Chief Davis Says

LORTON, VA — Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said Tuesday that a weekend fire at the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department's Urban Search and Rescue training facility in Lorton was intentionally set, as authorities continue searching for people seen on surveillance video near the scene.

Speaking on FOX 5 Tuesday morning, Davis said the fire has been classified as arson and appealed for the public's help identifying the individuals captured on surveillance footage released Monday. The Fairfax County Police Department and Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department are jointly investigating the blaze.

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The fire was reported around 5:20 p.m. Saturday at the Urban Search and Rescue training facility in the 9900 block of Furnace Road. Firefighters arrived to find a large storage building housing commercial equipment fully engulfed in flames. No civilians or firefighters were injured.

Arson Investigation Continues

Fire investigators have not released a motive or identified any suspects. On Monday evening, investigators released surveillance images showing several individuals who were at the facility around the time the fire started.

Authorities are asking anyone who recognizes the individuals or has information about the incident to contact Fairfax County Crime Solvers by calling 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477), submitting a tip online at fairfaxcrimesolvers.org, or using the P3 Tips app. Anonymous tipsters may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.

The building that burned is part of the county's Urban Search and Rescue training complex, where Virginia Task Force 1 prepares for building collapses, natural disasters and other emergency deployments.

Team Continues Venezuela Earthquake Mission

While investigators work to determine who set the fire, Fairfax County's Urban Search and Rescue team remains deployed in Venezuela, where members are assisting with search-and-rescue operations following a devastating earthquake.

In an update posted Tuesday on X, Virginia Task Force 1 shared video showing one of its search dogs working at a collapsed building while crews continued searching for survivors.

"USA-01 continues USAR operations in #Venezuela," the team wrote. "Working inside collapsed structures is demanding work. Rescuers navigate extremely tight, unstable void spaces to safely reach survivors. Moves are deliberate, balancing speed w/ the structural integrity of the building."

The post underscored the mission of the specialized team whose Lorton training facility was damaged by the weekend fire.

Officials have not said whether the fire will affect future training or the team's operational readiness.