Ambar in Clarendon opened for lunch today (Monday), a day after a rooftop air handler caught fire and prompted a large fire department response.
“Ambar Clarendon passed inspection this morning and was able to re-open for lunch service today, two days sooner than expected,” a spokeswoman tells ARLnow.com. In a statement, the restaurant’s owners said that “we appreciate everyone’s support, and are grateful that we were able to reopen quickly.”
The Sunday brunch scene at Ambar in Clarendon (2901 Wilson Blvd) was a bit too hot this afternoon.
A fire broke out at the popular restaurant today around 12:30 p.m. Initial reports suggest that a rooftop air handler caught fire; smoke and flames could be seen coming from the roof.
Firefighters extinguished a house fire in Arlington’s East Falls Church neighborhood tonight.
“Heavy fire” was reported in the rear of a home in the 2300 block of N. Quantico Street. Firefighters were able to extinguish the flames before the blaze could could spread to the interior of the house.
Update at 4:15 p.m. — The Arlington County Police Department has released surveillance images of a man they say broke into the store and then set fire to it.
ACPD is seeking the public's assistance identifying the suspect in these surveillance images. Suspect forced entry into a business and stole merchandise before intentionally setting a fire and fleeing the area on foot. Additional details: https://t.co/NPuejMpaQx @ArlingtonVaFD pic.twitter.com/nL7NBJgMaq
Three shrubs caught on fire beside George Mason University’s Bill of Rights Eagle in Virginia Square.
The fire broke out on this afternoon (Friday) just before 1 p.m., engulfing the shrubbery and a patch of mulch. The flames were quickly extinguished by responding firefighters, and a college employee said that it wasn’t a major incident. Classes were in session at the time but there was not report of any evacuation.
First Responders Say Starting Pay Is Too Low — “Patrick Gorman was just beginning to enjoy his job as an Arlington, Va., police officer when he decided to quit. His wife was pregnant with twins, and they already had a 2-year-old. Even with both working full time, he said, they couldn’t afford to live in the area. Two months out of training, he left the department in February and moved to North Carolina.” [Washington Post]
Large Arlington Contingent for Boston Marathon — Some 77 runners from Arlington are set to compete in the prestigious Boston Marathon a week from today. [InsideNova]
ACFD Battles Kitchen Fire — Arlington County firefighters last night extinguished a kitchen fire in an apartment building on the 1900 block of N. Calvert Street, just north of Lee Highway and east of Spout Run. No injuries were reported. [Twitter, Twitter]
Taylor P.E. Teacher Pleads to Drug Charge — A second former P.E. teacher at Taylor Elementary School has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a drug bust in December. Michael Diaddigo, 28, will reportedly “serve 1 of a 12-months jail sentence if he follows probation, which includes a $500 fine and substance abuse treatment.” [Twitter]
Service was restored between East Falls Church and Clarendon Metro stations after grinding to a halt Thursday morning (April 5) for several hours.
Service was restored at about 8 a.m., but delays are expected to last at least throughout the morning. Metro referred to the incident as both a track problem and fire department activity at the Virginia Square Metro station.
Police and fire officials flooded last night’s (April 3) budget hearing to speak out against stagnant wages.
Public safety personnel say that police and fire wages are too low to allow them to live in Arlington long-term. Many are joining up, but soon realizing that their pay is insufficient to live in the county and raise a family.
Shake Shack, Philz and More Coming to Ballston — “Ballston will beef up its fast-casual restaurant offerings by the end of this year, with Shake Shack, We the Pizza, Philz Coffee and Cava all slated to lease space in the newly dubbed Ballston Exchange project. Ballston Exchange, formerly known as Stafford Place I and II, was until 2017 home to the National Science Foundation.” [Washington Business Journal]
Outdoor Lab Squeezed by Rising Enrollment — “A growing student body at the elementary-school level may soon mean there are not enough days in the school year to send the usual cadre of students to the Arlington Outdoor Lab, located in Fauquier County.” [InsideNova]
Overnight House Fire in Rock Spring — The Arlington County Fire Department battled a blaze in the basement of a home in the Rock Spring neighborhood early this morning. One occupant of the home was brought to the hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation. [Twitter]
ACFD Battles Falls Church Fire — Arlington and Fairfax County firefighters battled a two-alarm house fire in Falls Church early Sunday morning. The home’s occupant was able to get out but was transported to the hospital. The house, which had “hazardous hoarding conditions” inside, it believed to be a total loss. [City of Falls Church, Falls Church News-Press]
Four inches of snow has fallen in Arlington, according to the 2 p.m. snowfall total at Reagan National Airport.
The snow has led to slippery roadways and numerous closures. Though above-average temperatures and dogged work by Arlington and VDOT crews has resulted in many main roads being more wet than snow-covered as of mid-afternoon, a number of accidents and spinouts have been reported.
