A McLean, Virginia mansion that was destroyed by a massive fire on Saturday was owned by the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, according to public tax records.
Fairfax County firefighters spent more than 12 hours putting out the fire at the large home located on Turkey Run Road. They were first alerted shortly before 8 a.m.
Five people and two dogs were inside the home at the time of the fire. Officials say they managed to escape unharmed due to smoke alarms.
Fire officials say the location of the home presented challenges in fighting the blaze as there were no hydrants nearby.
"The neighborhood does present an additional complexity. There are no hydrants nearby so we had to bring some additional water and tankers," Deputy Chief of Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, Paul Ruwe, told ABC7.
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Neighbors express concern, following large house fire
by Anna-Lysa Gayle/Stephen Pimpo Jr./ABC7
Saturday, February 18th 2017
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (ABC7) — Firefighters spent more than 12 hours on Turkey Run Road on Saturday, following a large house fire.
Fire officials received a 911 call just before 8 a.m.
Neighbors recorded video, which showed a huge plume of smoke billowing above the home.
There were five people and two dogs inside when the fire started. They managed to escape unharmed due to their smoke alarms.
"I did see them come out. I think obviously they were very shaken, said neighbor Andrew Cristinzio. "The house can be replaced. We're just glad everybody is safe."
Neighbors have expressed concern about one of the challenges that firefighters faced, while trying to put out the flames.
"The neighborhood does present an additional complexity. There are no hydrants nearby so we had to bring some additional water and tankers," said Paul Ruwe, who is the Deputy Chief of Fairfax County Fire & Rescue.
"Knowing that.....having something closer will make people feel a lot better," said Andrew Cristinzio.The cause of the fire has not been released.
Eyewitness News
Monday, February 20, 2017 04:34AM
FOREST HILLS, Queens (WABC) -- Flames poured out of a manhole in Queens Sunday after a series of underground explosions that had residents on edge.
The manhole fire happened just before 11 p.m. on Queens Boulevard in Forest Hills.
Con Edison says a defective cable made three manholes smoke, causing a power outage. Crews cut the defective cable.
Three cars were damaged by flying debris.
Users took to social media, saying the fire sounded like a large explosion.
One person who lives on Queens Boulevard says his building shook.
No injuries have been reported and power is back on in the area.
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Residents Describe Hearing Explosions After Defective Cable Causes Manhole Fires In Queens February 20, 2017 12:00 PM
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — Residents in Queens say their neighborhood was rocked by a series of manhole explosions Sunday night that damaged several parked cars and left dozens without power.
Just before 11 p.m., an electrical fire shot blue flames out of a manhole on Queens Boulevard between 67th and 68th avenues.
Some people who live nearby captured one of the blasts on video. In a matter of minutes, two more explosions sent smoke billowing into the air.
“Saw a huge fire, we saw basically fireworks exploding from our balcony from this manhole cover over here,” resident Dana Ben Benyamin told CBS2’s Magdalena Doris.
“It sounded like a big explosion, like a bomb. Everyone thought it was a bomb,” said resident Rio Yonathan. “Everyone in the building was terrified. We went outside and cops said, ‘Get inside.'”
“It was very loud. It shook the whole building,” another neighbor told 1010 WINS’ Samantha Liebman.
“Huge explosion, it sounds so badly,” said a man who works at a nearby 7-Eleven. “It shake the windows and everything.”
Con Edison officials told CBS2 the blasts were caused by defective cables underground.
“Then all of a sudden I saw huge pieces, I couldn’t tell if they were — if they were metal or concrete, but I saw three huge pieces fly,” said Ben Benyamin.
That airborne debris landed on parked cars, cracking windshields and crushing hoods. It took the FDNY nearly two hours to extinguish the raging flames underground.
Con Ed said no one was working underground at the time.
No injuries were reported, but one building in the neighborhood was left without power.
“Good thing nobody got hurt,” one resident said. “The damage to the cars is tremendous.”
Crews are still working to repair the defective cables.
Monday, February 20, 2017 06:25AM
NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) -- Two police officers were injured and four people were arrested after a lengthy car chase and crash in New Jersey.
Police say four people stole an SUV in Fairfield late Saturday night, a crime possibly connected to other thefts and carjackings in Essex County.
Officers found the vehicle in Newark and started chasing it through several neighborhoods, with a police helicopter following overhead.
The SUV crashed head-on into an unmarked police car at the intersection of South Orange and Morris Avenues, and burst into flames.
Two officers were hurt.
Four people in the car - two men, a woman and a teenage girl - were captured at the scene.
Arrested were the following blanck people: Richard D. Williams, 39, Terrell Norris, 28, a 16-year-old female, all of Newark, and Nakiah Burr, 19, of East Orange.
The injured officers and one of the suspects were all treated at a hospital.
