Wildfires cause mass commuter delays at MCB Quantico

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. – The Quantico Fire and Emergency Services responded to three fires on and near base yesterday, March 20.

Two fires were located on base at the Officer Candidates School and at Training Area 9 Delta at The Basic School. The largest fire was located just off base between main side and TBS near the Russell Road and Route 1 interchange and along the edge of Locust Shade Park on Route 1. Prince William County and Quantico Fire and Emergency Services continue to monitor the situations.

“All fires on base are contained and will remain monitored,” said Deputy Fire Chief Benjamin Money, with Quantico Fire and Emergency Services. “They will smolder and burn themselves out,” he explained.

At approximately 3:20 p.m. yesterday, as commuters across Northern Virginia were heading home, the initial notification of the fires were received by base emergency services, setting the conditions for longer than usual traffic times. Quantico emergency services responded immediately and quickly closed Russell Road while Prince William County closed Route 1 between the main and commissary gates to protect commuters from the wildfires. As a result of the closures, base personnel commuting off base experienced extreme traffic delays. Traffic was initially redirected out to the main gate. Once the fire on OCS was deemed safe, the Buffalo Pond Gate at OCS was opened to alleviate traffic.

All gates are now operating as usual. Currently, the full extent of the damage is unknown. According to Master Sgt. Mark Daniels, the operations chief of PMO, no one was injured as a result of the fires.

Residents and base personnel have access to emergency notifications via Quantico Mass Notification System. Anyone interested in receiving immediate information during emergencies and updates to the base operating status can sign up for QMNS here: https://www.quantico.marines.mil/info/Quantico-Mass-Notification-System/.