Washington, D.C
DC Fire and EMS brave the summer heat wave
![DC Fire and EMS brave the summer heat wave](https://www.dcnewsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2024/04/dcfems_file.jpg?w=1280)
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — With soaring temperatures come tough conditions for D.C.’s brave men and women who are no strangers to the heat. On Monday, DC Fire and EMS crews were gearing up for an especially warm week in the District.
“If you can imagine a winter coat, sweatpants, boots, gloves and then a backpack full of lead on your back, and then you have to go into a building on fire,” said DC Fire and EMS Acting Assistant Chief of Operations Daniel McCoy of wearing 80 pounds of firefighting gear in high temperatures.
The already strenuous job is made even harder in the heat.
“Your core temperature is already starting to go up so you have less time to operate inside the building,” said McCoy.
He says it’s an all-hands effort to keep their crews safe in the summer.
“We’ll rotate crews faster and earlier than we would if it were cooler outside, to make sure our firefighters don’t overheat,” said McCoy.
He says it’s also more common for the department to call for an additional alarm, or more trucks and personnel, to help fight fires in the summer.
Engine 5 in Georgetown is one of the department’s “rehab units,” dedicated to keeping crews comfortable and safe on scene.
“They set up a cooling station. They can help to monitor vital signs on site. Crews can have a snack and some water. The goal is to have the members to be ready as quickly as possible so that they’re able to provide additional service on the scene,” said McCoy.
He said D.C.’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA) also helps to coordinate cooling buses to provide respite for crews during long, strenuous firefighting efforts in the summer.
DC Fire and EMS also has additional ambulances staffed around the city this week ready to respond to increased calls for heat-related illness.
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Washington, D.C
Where to watch the first Biden-Trump presidential debate in D.C.
![Where to watch the first Biden-Trump presidential debate in D.C.](https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/NGBXNFPBFH4WDQGNF3SP6DX6GA_size-normalized.jpg&w=1440)
If you don’t want to watch in your living room — or can’t bear the thought of watching alone — these bars offer everything from drinking games to half-price drinks.
The restaurant/bar/bookstore is showing the debate at all eight of its locations. The programs vary slightly: The Busboys in Mount Vernon Triangle includes a post-debate discussion with former Ohio state senator Nina Turner, the co-chair of Bernie Sanders’s 2020 presidential campaign; the branch at 14th and V NW offers a discussion about the proposed ranked-choice voting ballot amendment in D.C.; and other restaurants feature open-mic poetry before the debate. Locations and times vary.
For $25, get unlimited Bud Light, Shock Top and Hoop Tea drafts; Yuengling bottles; Miller Lite cans; and rail drinks at the H Street NE sports bar from 7 p.m. until the end of the debate.
D.C.’s first LGBTQ-owned brewery offers happy hour pricing during the debate, including for its own Dissent Hazy IPA, rums from St. Michaels’s Lyon distilling and Mount Defiance’s Smoked Virginia Whiskey. Specials begin at 9 p.m.
The Red Derby — recently voted one of the top five dive bars in the D.C. area — offers two different experiences Thursday. Downstairs, the debate is streaming on the projection screen, while customers drink $3 PBRs and $3.50 shots of house tequila or whiskey, or snack on half-price grilled cheese. Upstairs on the roof deck, it’s business as usual, and blissfully politics-free. Specials run all night.
Shaw’s Tavern has made a name for itself as a place to go for D.C. political theater, opening early for congressional testimony and confirmation hearings. All tables are already reserved for the debate viewing party on Florida Avenue NW, but there will be bar stools and standing room available for walk-ins. Bottles of wine are half-price all night. Seating begins at 7:30 p.m.
Union Pub, located steps from Senate office buildings, boasts that it’s “busier during the State of the Union address than major sporting events.” On Thursday, it’s offering a debate drinking game; a “drink poll” that encourages customers to order red or blue vodka drinks to see which is more popular; and a plethora of drink specials including $4 house beers and $4 shots, discounted pints and pitchers of Yuengling and Pacifico, and $22 buckets of Bud Light. For groups, the bar is keeping its $340 “Guilty Pleasure Platter” that’s recommended for 12, with 34 wings, platters of totchos and mini corn dogs, a dozen sliders, 12 house beers, 12 “Orange Shots” and 12 mystery beers. Specials begin at 6 p.m.
Washington, D.C
Huge fire in Southeast displaces dozens, fire department says
![Huge fire in Southeast displaces dozens, fire department says](https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/BBU3T3AZXQNWNG4TNBCQNQAX3Q_size-normalized.jpg&w=1440)
More than 70 people were displaced Tuesday in a huge apartment-house fire in Southeast Washington, the D.C. fire department said.
The two-alarm blaze broke out in the 2600 block of Bowen Road SE and was extinguished by 4 p.m., according to the department.
At least one person was rescued by ladder, the department said. Two people, including a firefighter, were taken to hospitals. No serious injuries were reported.
The fire apparently broke out on the top floor and attic area of a four-story apartment house and spread to adjoining buildings.
The cause was not immediately known.
Washington, D.C
Washington DC expected to see record travel for Independence Day Weekend
![Washington DC expected to see record travel for Independence Day Weekend](https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox5dc.com/www.fox5dc.com/content/uploads/2023/01/1280/720/GettyImages-1230832833.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Fireworks go off above the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and the US Capitol during an Independence Day fireworks display in Washington D.C., United States on July 4, 2023. (Photo by Mehmet Eser/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON – More than 1.8 million Washington-metro area residents are projected to travel 50 miles or more over the Independence Day holiday weekend, according to AAA.
This marks a 6% increase compared to last year and over 5% more than in 2019.
“With school out across the country, summer vacations are in full swing, and the 4th of July holiday seems like the perfect time for a getaway,” said Ragina Cooper Ali, spokeswoman for AAA in Maryland and Washington, D.C.
![](https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox5dc.com/www.fox5dc.com/content/uploads/2024/02/932/524/Airport-baggage.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
FILE-Travelers search for their suitcases in a baggage holding area for Southwest Airlines at Denver International Airport on December 28, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)
“We are seeing that a residual impact of COVID has been greater work flexibility, affording many the opportunity to work remotely and extend weekend and holiday trips,” Ali added.
AAA estimates that more than 1.6 million metro-area residents—nearly 90% of travelers—will drive during the holiday week. This is an increase of nearly 6% compared to both last year and 2019. “Nationally, gas prices are trending about 11 cents lower than last year. Here, in the D.C. metro area, Tuesday’s average of $3.49 is a penny less than a year ago,” noted Ali. She added that while pump prices are expected to remain stable until after Labor Day, the hurricane season could potentially impact Gulf Coast oil production and refining centers, leading to fluctuations.
![](https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox5dc.com/www.fox5dc.com/content/uploads/2024/06/932/524/vcsPRAsset_523962_157729_c84a4b4d-ac73-4902-8e7f-d9959ad1e860_0.png?ve=1&tl=1)
Air travel is also anticipated to be strong, with AAA projecting more than 129,000 D.C. area travelers flying to their July 4th destinations. This is nearly 7% higher than last year and more than a 12% increase compared to 2019. AAA’s booking data shows domestic airfare is 2% cheaper this Independence Day week compared to last year, with the average price for a domestic round-trip ticket at $800. Ali recommends travelers arrive at airports two hours early, reserve parking in advance, and opt for carry-on luggage to save time and money.
The “other” travel category, which includes buses, trains, and cruises, is also seeing a rebound, with over 79,000 District travelers expected to take these modes of transportation. This represents an increase of nearly 12% compared to last year, although it is still down more than 8% from pre-pandemic levels in 2019. “Baltimore and other hometown ports remain popular and convenient for many in our region,” stated Ali. She also noted that cruise travelers can find deals this summer as new ships entering the market lead to targeted discounts on older inventory.
Nationally, a record 71 million people are predicted to travel for the holiday this year, with more than 60 million hitting the roads. Air travel is also expected to set a record with nearly six million travelers, reflecting a 7% increase from last year and more than a 12% rise compared to pre-pandemic days in 2019.
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