Firefighters quickly contain gas pump fire at Richmond Highway gas station

A scary-looking fire at a Richmond Highway gas station earlier today was quickly extinguished by firefighters before it could spread.

The fire broke out at the Shell station at the corner of Frye Road in the Woodlawn area shortly before 6:30 p.m. Video captured by a passerby shows flames and black smoke rising from a car and gas pump that appears to be knocked over. As additional fire trucks arrive on the scene, one of the first responding firefighters is seen taking on the blaze by himself, quickly knocking down the flames.

The video was posted to Twitter by Del. Paul Krizek, whose brother Neil filmed the scene. 

A separate video sent to Covering The Corridor by David Kudlo of Mount Vernon shows the fire before firefighters arrived. Seen from Frye Road, the video captures a small explosion that sends a larger plume of black smoke into the air. 

No injuries were reported, and it’s unclear at this time what sequence of events caused the fire. We will update as more information becomes available.

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue said in a release Monday afternoon that a driver accidentally accelerated instead of braking while pulling up to the pump to get gas. The impact knocked over the pump, which ignited the fire, the fire department said. 

The driver of the car was able to get out of the vehicle before firefighters arrived. She was taken to the hospital for evaluation after the incident, according to the fire department. Damage was estimated to be around $50,000.