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A two-alarm fire at a large recycling pile in Lorton injured six civilians and a firefighter Tuesday, Oct. 14, while forcing an extended closure of Richmond Highway.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue crews responded to the 9900 block of Richmond Highway and found one person trapped in a crane. Firefighters rescued the crane occupant before beginning suppression operations.
Crews remained at the active scene throughout the day as hazardous-materials teams monitored the atmosphere. Richmond Highway was closed in both directions between Gunston Road and Hassett Street, with portions of Route 1 still blocked shortly before 6 p.m.
The highway fully reopened at 8:40 p.m., when air-quality readings were within normal levels.
Six civilians were taken to nearby medical facilities. One had life-threatening injuries, while five had injuries that were not considered life-threatening. A firefighter was also hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.