Fire at Arlington County, Virginia Training Academy has firefighters wondering if pumper is cursed
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At 9:35 PM Friday night firefighters were dispatched to a report of a building fire at Arlington Mill Drive in the Shirlington area of Arlington County, Virginia. Right away there was the chance this was not good news for the Arlington County government because there are a number of county facilities in the area. It turned out the one that was burning belonged to the agency that was responding: The Arlington County Fire Department.
Burning was the structure at the Arlington Fire Training Academy on South Taylor Street known as “The Hut”.
Inside “The Hut” was the E-One pumper assigned to the academy. The website ACFD3.com writes that the pumper, along with 1/3 of the structure, were burning. After knocking the fire “the fuel tank on the engine erupted into a huge fireball which could be seen from blocks away”.
The Arlington Fire Marshals Office is now investigating.
“The Hut” in happier times.
But ACFD3.com believes there could be more to the story:
Is it possible that a fire truck can be cursed? In the case of the Training Academy Engine it is very likely. Engine 111 started life in 2002 assigned to Engine 110. Shortly after entering service it was involved in a serious rollover accident on Route 110. The rig was then returned to Florida for a complete refurb. When it returned to the County the rig was plagued by electrical problems. It was assigned to the Fire Training Academy in 2006 where it served until being destroyed by fire.
