Landfill Fire Added to Smokey Skies in Southern Fairfax

Fire put out after nearly two days burning.

Story by Mike Salmon

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Late Monday night, June 5, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue units responded to a landfill in the 9900 blk of Richmond Hwy in the Lorton area for reports of an outside fire. Crews worked to get the large volume fire under control and remained on scene for an extended period of time, FCFRD said. Smoke was visible from Route 1 and I-95.

Firefighters remained on the scene the next morning and by daylight, the fire was contained with no reported injuries. The privately-owned landfill is primarily composed of logs and brush. Due to the large amount of smoke being generated, HazMat units conducted atmospheric monitoring and all readings were within normal levels. Crews remained on scene throughout the day to assist with “extinguishment efforts.”

The FCFRD worked along with Ft. Belvoir Fire and Emergency Services, Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue, Fairfax County Police, and the property owner throughout the day to extinguish the bulk of the fire. Units remained on scene throughout Tuesday night, June 6 to hit hot spots, FCFRD said.

By Wednesday morning, the landfill was back to normal operations, the landfill staff said.