The Alexandria Fire Department will soon open its doors to the public as part of its free eight-week fall fire academy.
The deadline is Sept. 20 (Saturday) to apply for the hands-on program, which runs from Oct. 6 to Nov. 10, and space is limited to 12 participants who are at least 18 years of age. The classes are held on Mondays from 6 to 9 p.m., and participants can expect to learn about fire safety, the history of the department, daily life within AFD, and more.
Good morning, Alexandria! 👋 Today is Sunday, Aug. 24, the 236th day of 2025. There are 129 days left in the year.
🌧️ Today’s weather: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 3 p.m., then a slight chance of thunderstorms after 4 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. South wind 5 to 8 mph. The chance of precipitation is 20%.
Alexandria Fire Department extinguished a car fire in the West End on Wednesday, Aug. 13.
The fire was reported at a car parked in the 200 block of S. Reynolds Street at around 5:30 a.m. The 911 caller reported that a black Honda Accord was on fire.
The Alexandria Fire Department was honored with a featured documentary at Fire-Rescue International 2025, the premier conference for fire and emergency service leaders currently underway in Orlando, Florida.
The department announced Tuesday on social media that WebsEdge IAFC TV produced a five-minute film titled “Stronger Together: The Alexandria Fire Department Story,” highlighting the department’s commitment to service and leadership. The documentary was showcased at the International Association of Fire Chiefs conference, which runs through Thursday at the Orange County Convention Center.
Alexandria firefighters responded to a serious motor vehicle accident on the Capital Beltway near the Woodrow Wilson Bridge early Sunday morning, rescuing a driver who became trapped underneath a tractor-trailer.
The accident occurred just before 6 a.m. on the Maryland side of the bridge, according to a Facebook post from Alexandria Firefighters, Inc. IAFF Local 2141. When crews arrived, they found one vehicle pinned under the rear of the tractor-trailer with the driver trapped inside.
We made it to Friday, Alexandria! Here’s a look at this week’s top stories.
Our most-read post is on a proposal to open a 24-hour Mexican restaurant in the city’s Del Ray neighborhood. The effort is facing some pushback from neighbors wary of potential crime and safety issues. In July, Tortas Y Tacos La Chiquita officially announced in a special use permit application that it wants to open at 529 E. Howell Avenue, the former home to Bark Social. It would be the fourth restaurant for the local chain, and while the restaurant won’t serve alcohol, outside patio hours would be 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, according to the application. The inside area is proposed to be open 24 hours a day.
No injuries were reported in a commercial building fire in the Alexandria area of Fairfax County on Friday morning (Aug. 1).
The Alexandria Fire Department assisted the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department extinguish the blaze in a small building, which was reported at around 6 a.m.
Alexandria firefighters responded to an apartment fire Thursday evening in the 5400 block of Sheffield Court, according to Alexandria Firefighters Inc. IAFF Local 2141.
Engine and Truck 208 arrived first on scene and found smoke showing from a terrace-level apartment. Crews located a fire in the living room and successfully extinguished the blaze.
The Alexandria Fire Department assisted in extinguishing two-alarm fires in Fairfax County this morning (July 23).
No injuries were reported in the early morning fires at three townhouses in Kingstowne and at Anytime Fitness (6400 Brandon Avenue) in Springfield’s Tower Shopping Center.
One burn victim was transported to the hospital after a fire in a shed containing paint and chemicals behind the Hertz office at 3800 Richmond Highway.
The incident was reported at approximately 9:45 a.m., with the incorrect address listed as Alexandria Toyota, located at 3750 Richmond Highway. Instead, Alexandria and Arlington firefighters found a storage shed in the rear parking lot of the next-door Hertz property “actively on fire.”
Alexandria celebrated its 276th and the U.S.’s 249th birthday in style along the Potomac River at Oronoco Bay Park on Saturday (July 12).
Thousands attended the annual event. For about four hours, the park was turned into a maze of beach blankets, lawn chairs, and barefoot kids with lightsabers and bubble guns. Flanked onstage by City Council and city staff, Mayor Alyia Gaskins and Poet Laureate Maria Cristina Donoso made brief remarks before the program was turned over to the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, which wrapped up in time for a spectacular fireworks show (see video below).
