The owners of one half of a Bluemont duplex that was destroyed in a December house explosion are attempting to rebuild.
The previous occupants of the currently empty lot on N. Burlington Street went before the Arlington Board of Zoning Appeals yesterday (Wednesday) with a proposal to construct a single-family detached house there.
“Living next to James Yoo … introduced a great deal of trauma into our family’s lives, which we deal with everyday,” one of the applicants told the Board. “We do not wish to build a duplex, for what I hope are obvious reasons.”
The proposed house is narrower than the Arlington County Zoning Ordinance allows, requiring a variance from the county. The BZA adopted one resolution to make this possible, but deferred a vote on a second motion while the applicants finalize design plans.
The applicants’ house went up in flames the afternoon of Dec. 4, 2023 following a police standoff with their neighbor, 56-year-old James Yoo.
Police descended on N. Burlington Street after an officer spotted Yoo firing dozens of flares from the second floor of his house, some of which landed in a nearby soccer field. After several hours of attempting to make contact with Yoo, who had a history of hostility toward law enforcement and government agencies, officers received a warrant to break down his front door.
Yoo proceeded to fire multiple gunshots at police. Investigations concluded that the ensuing explosion resulted from him apparently pouring gasoline throughout his basement and igniting the flammable vapors.
Yoo was killed in the blast, which engulfed the entire duplex in a fireball, hurled debris for three blocks and could be heard and felt for miles around.
Police evacuated families from nearby homes — including the adjoining duplex — before the explosion, while other residents in the area were instructed to shelter in place.
