WASHINGTON — Firefighters have contained several blazes in the mid-Atlantic region that forced evacuations, knocked out power, and prompted an advisory for some residents to boil their water, officials said yesterday.
No deaths have been reported, though at least four firefighters were treated for minor injuries. Several homes, businesses, and other structures in the Washington region were damaged.
Strong winds and dry conditions made the blazes tough to extinguish, with firefighters still working to put out some hotspots yesterday morning.
Six fires in Virginia’s Prince William County scorched about 300 acres and led officials to evacuate 60 people from homes. The worst fire was in a neighborhood where a tree had been blown over onto a power line. Some were still without power in the area, though that should be restored yesterday, county officials said in a press release.
Crews used so much water that water pressure fell to dangerous levels, leading officials to issue a boil-water advisory that was still in effect yesterday morning. All the fires in Prince William County were under control by yesterday.
In Maryland’s Prince George’s County, more than 600 acres burned. Interstate 95 was temporarily shut down in Laurel, Md., when a fire jumped into the highway’s median.
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