The historic blizzard might be over, but rescue crews around the Washington region continued to remove fallen trees from cars, pull families from burning buildings and respond to collapsed roofs — including that of a Fairfax County firehouse.
“Pretty much all our calls are snow-related,” D.C. fire department spokesman Pete Piringer said Monday. “It’s been a challenge, but we’ve had no major calamities.”
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None of the 18 firefighters at the Baileys Crossroads station were hurt when the roof crashed down at 3 a.m. Monday, according to Fairfax County fire department spokesman Dan Schmidt. But the fire engine, firetruck and ambulance units were damaged.
D.C.’s National Guard soldiers used Humvees to transport police and firemen to critical areas over the weekend. Soldiers picked up D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier from a home in Maryland and brought her into the city and later to a police-involved shooting, according to Lt. Col. Kevin McAndrews. In a 14-hour stretch during the worst of the blizzard, D.C. firefighters responded to 850 incidents, more than twice their typical run rate. Dozens of trees fell on homes or cars, building roofs collapsed, and babies had to be delivered, Piringer said. Maryland State Police reported that more than 1,300 vehicles became disabled or were left unattended along the highways. Authorities said the main highways are passable but travel still is hazardous, especially on secondary roads. Troopers responded to 389 traffic crashes, including 157 that involved injuries or damage that required towing. D.C. fire officials said they responded to numerous fender benders but none of the accidents involved major injuries. D.C. officials cited hundreds of vehicles for parking along the city’s snow emergency routes during the blizzard. From Friday morning to 10:30 a.m. Monday, authorities wrote 1,065 tickets for cars parked along the routes, according to D.C. police spokeswoman Gwendolyn Crump. Montgomery County Assistant Fire Chief Scott Graham said Maryland National Guard soldiers with a Humvee hauled personnel to a collapsed dairy barn near Poolesville on Saturday. Sixty-six cows were able to get out on their own, but rescue crews were needed to help rescue four cattle from the wreckage. None of the animals were hurt. Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
