Lorton Fire: Six Injured, Crane Operator Rescued As Toxic Smoke Prompts Shelter Order In Fairfax County | Watch

At least six people were taken to area hospitals on Tuesday afternoon as emergency crews battled a massive two-alarm fire at a scrap metal yard in Lorton, Virginia, authorities confirmed. The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department said the incident began around 1 p.m. at Davis Industries, located at 9920 Richmond Highway, where a large pile of recycling material caught fire.Video footage from traffic cameras and local news helicopters showed thick black smoke billowing from the site, visible for miles across southern Fairfax County. Fire officials said the smoke resulted from burning metals and other industrial debris, prompting immediate concerns about toxic exposure.Big Fire at a recycling center in Lorton, Virginia.Crews are on the scene of a two-alarm fire at a recycling center located in the the 9900 block of Richmond Highway in Lorton. #Virginia #Lorton #bigfire pic.twitter.com/4YTG4VBikA— Chat News Hub (@chatnewshub) October 14, 2025 “Units arrived to find a large recycling pile on fire and a person trapped inside a crane,” the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department posted on social media platform X. Scanner audio revealed that rescuers described the operator as “unconscious and coughing up a lot of phlegm” before an urgent extraction effort began.Crane Operator Rescued, Toxic Air Prompts Shelter OrderAfter an intense rescue, the crane operator was successfully removed from the machinery and transported to a nearby hospital. A firefighter and four other civilians were also injured, the department confirmed. According to a spokesperson quoted by FFXnow, the firefighter’s injuries were non-life-threatening, while one civilian sustained life-threatening injuries. The exact cause of the fire and details about the victims’ conditions remain under investigation.Hazardous materials teams were dispatched to monitor air quality as “burning metals that are toxic” spread through the area, the fire department said. Out of “an abundance of caution,” residents within a one-mile radius were told to shelter in place shortly before 4 p.m. as smoke continued to pour from the site.Road Closures and Ongoing ResponseAuthorities shut down Richmond Highway (Route 1) in both directions between Gunston Road and Hassett Street, diverting traffic to Old Colchester Road. Police officers assisted with traffic control as dozens of firefighters remained on scene.By early evening, the fire’s main body had been contained, but crews continued to cool hotspots and ensure hazardous vapours did not spread further. Officials said the cause of the fire would be determined once it was safe for investigators to enter the debris field.