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Northern Virginia Fire Task Force Responds to Louisa County Fire

Fairfax County Office of Public Affairs
12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 551
Fairfax, VA 22035-0065
Contact: Merni Fitzgerald, Director of Public Affairs
703-324-3187, TTY 711, Fax 703-324-2010
Media Pager: 703-324-NEWS (6397)
publicaffairs@fairfaxcounty.gov

Feb. 11, 2008

Northern Virginia Fire Task Force Responds to Louisa County Fire

Yesterday, Northern Virginia first responders – from the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William – formed a task force and dispatched personnel and equipment to Louisa County, Va., to assist in battling a 500-acre brush fire. Prince William County Fire Department was already on the ground and joined the Northern Virginia task force.

Personnel from the Northern Virginia task force responded to several fires throughout the evening and remained in place this morning assisting as needed. The Northern Virginia task force was demobilized and released from the scene shortly after noon today.

The Northern Virginia coordinated response is the result of a request from Louisa County, as part of the commonwealth’s system of statewide mutual aid. In addition, the governor’s office had declared a state of emergency in the area. There were 14 mutual aid requests throughout the commonwealth last evening, many because of the high winds, dry conditions and low humidity in some areas of the state. Governor Timothy M. Kaine also activated the Virginia National Guard yesterday in response to the wildfires.

The Northern Virginia fire task force deployed:

• Arlington County: one engine company, with four personnel.
  
• Fairfax County: a battalion chief, a communications officer, a fuel truck with two personnel, tanker truck and a brush truck.
  
• Loudoun County: two brush trucks, one tanker truck and a deputy fire chief; a total of seven personnel both career and volunteer.
• Prince William County: a brush truck, engine and the volunteer fire chief from the Gainesville District Volunteer Fire Department, and an engine from the Nokesville District Volunteer Fire Department. 

The Northern Virginia jurisdictions have joined forces to respond to a number of major incidents, including the Pentagon response on Sept. 11, 2001, and Hurricane Katrina.

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