Fairfax County investigating after fire destroys Search and Rescue training facility
LORTON, Va. - Fairfax County officials are investigating after a shed at a fire training facility was burnt to the ground over the weekend.
What we know:
The fire happened on Saturday, June 27, at the Fairfax Urban Search and Rescue Traning Facility in Lorton.
Officials said surveillance video showed a group intentionally setting a shed on fire on the facility grounds.
Video from SkyFOX showed the building completely destroyed in the blaze. Fairfax County officials said the fire caused over $1 million in damage to the facilities and equipment.
SUGGESTED: Fairfax County rescue team deploys to Venezuela after deadly earthquakes
The backstory:
The fire comes as one of an elite Fairfax County rescue team is in Venezuela assisting in search-and-rescue efforts following the recent devastating earthquakes that have killed more than 1,500 people.
The VA-TF1/USA-01 team deployed to Venezuela on Friday.
Fairfax County's Urban Search and Rescue Team is routinely dispatched to major disasters in the U.S. and abroad. In recent years, members have responded to the 2023 earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, Hurricane Ian in Florida in 2022, the 2021 earthquake in Haiti and the 2020 wildfires in Oregon.
What's next:
The Fairfax County Police Department and Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department are holding a press conference on Monday to share security footage allegedly showing the suspects setting the fire.
The Source: Information in this story is from the Fairfax County Police Department, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department and previous FOX 5 DC reporting.