GAINSWave Therapy in Lorton, VA

With Halloween one week away, Fairfax County, Virginia, is offering a spooky excursion.

The Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton is scaring visitors at its eighth annual Workhouse Haunt, a walking trail experience that opened on Oct. 1 and runs through Nov. 5.

“I guarantee if you come out and be a part of it, you are going to have a terrifying time of your life, so we hope you’ll join us,” President & CEO Leon Scioscia told WTOP.

This year’s creative theme is “Nightmare Harvest” with a spooky back story.

“Imagine it’s October 1984, which means only one thing for the residents of this fictional township called Barkley: The annual harvest fair is ready to go,” Scioscia said. “They’re going to demonstrate a new experimental line of pesticides and fertilizers. … You’re encountering some rather strange individuals, animals and other types of creatures.”

After parking in the north parking lot, you’ll check in at a ticket booth in the central quad. There, you’ll form groups of up to 10 people to embark on the haunted trail in 15-minute increments. The tour is self-guided through the former prison buildings on the campus.

“The Workhouse Arts Center has on its campus about 25 buildings, only half of which have been renovated,” Scioscia said. “We go down some scary stairways into the basement area of what used to be one of the gyms. It’s all designed in such a way where there’s smoke and lights — and zombies and creatures hiding in these various crevices.”

Along the way, you’ll encounter 90 actors and technicians trying to scare you.

“These haunt actors come from the high school range, the college range and even the professional range,” Scioscia said. “There are some folks who just like to get dressed up in their own costume either as a mummy or other scare-type individual. They’re jumping out to scare you and doing it from a real character point of view as they would in any play.”

Due to fear factor, the event is recommended for ages 13 and older. Expect the experience to last approximately 30 minutes. Tickets cost $30 per person, but parking is free. Organizers are asking visitors to bring nonperishable food items to donate to the Lorton Community Action Center.

“It’s a really festive environment,” Scioscia said. “We have bands playing on Friday and Saturday nights. We’re really happy with the food trucks. We have a special draft beer truck from Bunnyman Brewery that will be here too.”

Bunnyman Brewing, a partner of the haunt, is based out of Burke, Virginia, and its name is based on urban legend.

Find out more information here.

LORTON, Va. (7News) — Hundreds of passengers departing Northern Virginia were stuck on an Amtrak Auto Train for more than 24 hours and still have no estimate of when they will be able to get off the train.

The Amtrak Auto Train left Lorton, Va. Monday night on a nonstop trip to Florida. The train was supposed to arrive at 10 a.m. Tuesday but is currently sitting in a wooded area in South Carolina.

The delay is due to a CSX freight train colliding with a car. The CSX train derailed around 11 p.m. Monday, officials said. 25 cars and two locomotives derailed and the scene is still being cleared.

The Amtrak crew has timed out and is not legally able to operate the train. They are waiting on a replacement crew to access the train from a railroad crossing but so far there is no estimated time of arrival for the new crew. This is a unique train and there are only a few certified crews are able to operate it, officials said.

Another concern is that there are pets on board and it's unclear if they’ve been allowed to step off the train with their owners.

READ MORE: Passenger describes scene as Amtrak train carrying 142 people collides with truck in Md.

Hundreds of passengers departing Northern Virginia have been stuck on a Amtrak Auto Train for more than 24 hours and have no estimate of when they will be able to get off. (Courtesy WPDE)

The Auto Train is a unique train in that all passengers must also bring their car with them on the train. One train leaves each day from Florida and one from the D.C. area. Many passengers book little rooms with chairs that fold into beds and others book traditional seats.

The train is stocked with 1.5 meals per passenger.

CSX released the following statement about the derailment:

Just before 11:00 p.m. Monday, a CSX freight train came in contact with an unoccupied vehicle on the tracks at Charles Street in Lake City, SC resulting in the derailment of 25 rail cars and two locomotives, which remained upright. There were no injuries to the crew of the train and no hazardous materials involved. CSX crews are on site working to safely clear the tracks and restore the area.

According to passengers on board, the train began moving late Tuesday night. One passenger told 7News that feces was spotted on the floor of the train. Dogs onboard still have not been allowed to get off for a bathroom break and passengers will also need to wait for a minimum of 90 minutes for their cars to be unloaded when they arrive in Florida, a passenger said.

Editor's note: In an earlier version of this article, 7News reported there was no crew and limited food on the train. However, Amtrak tells 7News that the train did have a crew, but due to the delay the crew working on the train timed out and became unable to legally operate it. Amtrak also says the train is stocked with 1.5 meals per passenger.

People were inside the home at the time of the fire. All of them got out safely, according to firefighters.

LORTON, Va. — Firefighters battled a large house fire in Lorton, Virginia, early Tuesday morning. Flames destroyed the Fairfax County home, but all people inside were able to escape, firefighters said.

A spokesperson with Fairfax Fire and Rescue Services said units were dispatched to the 11300 block of River Road in the Lorton area for a report of a fire around 2:30 a.m. When crews arrived on scene they found flames had engulfed the home on all sides. Firefighters said all people inside the home are accounted for.

About an hour later, firefighters reported on social media that the fire had been brought under control. The single-story home has collapsed. No other homes were involved in the fire.

Battalion Chief Todd Barb said the house is in a remote area, and hydrants have only been in the area for about 14 years.

Barb believes the fire may have started in the basement, but the investigation is still underway. The house was a total loss.

Firefighters said no injuries to either civilians or firefighters have been reported. About 20 firefighting units were called to the scene and remain there early Tuesday to monitor the fire and make sure it does not flair up again.

Credit: Fairfax Fire and Rescue

According to Barb, the Red Cross is on the scene of the fire to help four adults displaced.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

This is a developing story. We are working to confirm additional details. Stay with WUSA9 for the latest updates as they come in to our newsroom.

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Amtrak travelers heading to Sanford, Florida from Lorton, Virginia on Monday night spent a lot more time on the rails than they bargained for, when Auto Train 53 arrived at its final destination more than 20 hours later than scheduled.

The train left Fairfax County, Virginia about 5 p.m. Monday, with an expected arrival time of 10 a.m. Tuesday. But the train didn't pull into the Florida station until about 6:20 a.m. on Wednesday -- meaning passengers spent over 36 hours on the train in total.

The immense delay was caused by a freight train with at least 20 cars that derailed in Lake City, South Carolina at about 8 p.m. on Monday. No one was injured in the derailment, but the blockage on the tracks left Auto Train 53 passengers stopped overnight in Hamlet, North Carolina.

At 8 a.m. on Tuesday -- two hours before passengers should have arrived in Sanford -- Auto Train 53 started moving again.

Then, at 3 p.m. Tuesday, the train stopped a second time in Denmark, North Carolina. The long delay meant the Amtrak crew had timed out of their shifts, and could not continue working.

The train restarted its journey again late on Tuesday, after a new Amtrak crew boarded at least six hours later than expected. Passengers finally arrived in Sanford just before 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

Colleen McKenna, a student at the University of Miami from North Potomac, Maryland, was frustrated that her journey back to school for the start of the spring semester was so delayed, and criticized Amtrak's handling of the situation.

According to McKenna, the only update Amtrak gave her during the hours they spent in Denmark, North Carolina was a written notice that read "Your new crew is estimated to arrive in approximately two hours. We apologize for the extended delay and appreciate your extended patience."

"That's the only update. They don't say what we're going to do after that," McKenna said in a video interview from the train. "I'm supposed to meet my parents in Miami, so they've been there all day already waiting to move me in. So it's just me, stuck here."

After arriving in Sanford Wednesday morning, McKenna told News4 she hopes this never happens to her again.

Amtrak has not replied to numerous requests for comment by phone and by email as of 1 p.m. on Wednesday.

After years of effort, solar panels are finally coming to the I-95 Landfill Complex in Lorton.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion on Sept. 13 to lease about 40 acres of the county-owned closed landfill within the complex to Sun Tribe Solar to install, operate, and maintain an array of ground-mounted solar panels.

Sun Tribe Solar, in turn, will let the county purchase renewable energy generated at the site with little upfront or operational costs, which staff say will help the county reduce its greenhouse emissions.

With the company quoting a rate of about 11 cents per kilowatt hour with no escalation over the life of the agreement, the county expects to save money immediately — about $51,000 in the first year of operation and over $1 million cumulatively by year eight.

Thought to be the first such project in the Commonwealth, the panels are expected to be installed and go online by the end of 2024, Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) Deputy Director Eric Forbes said at the meeting.

As a number of supervisors noted, though, it was a long time coming, with a number of challenges along the way.

Despite solid local support, the county needed approval from the Virginia General Assembly for solar panels to be installed on its land. The county was exploring the project at least as early as 2017, but every time it was taken to the state legislature, their request was denied.

The needed permission came at last from the 2020 Solar Freedom Act, which included a specific clause providing Fairfax County the go-ahead for the landfill project.

“I really wish this had happened a long time ago when I was chair of the environment committee because that’s when we first started having this discussion,” Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross said. “[A closed landfill] is perfect for solar. If it had not been for that pesky Virginia General Assembly not allowing it unless there was a change in the legislation, we would have done this a long time ago and would have been way ahead of the game.”

Gross wasn’t the only one to express frustration at the state holding up a project that the county says will increase its use of renewable energy while also saving money.

“Who would have ever thought that it would be a hard task to ask the General Assembly to let Fairfax County do what it wants with its property that is owned by our citizens that we are accountable to?” Chairman Jeff McKay asked rhetorically. “So, there is a bit of frustration for how long this has taken.”

Plus, there were some challenges with several previous vendors who didn’t hit deadlines and uphold their end of the deal, Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Stork noted. The county hopes Sun Tribe Solar will be the right and reliable partner.

The solar panel project at the I-95 Landfill Complex is another example of how the county is attempting to transform that area into more than a trash site.

In June, the county’s planning commission gave the green light for preliminary plans to convert another portion of the closed landfill at the site into a public park called Overlook Ridge Park.

That project is “progressing” with a site plan submission anticipated later this fall or early winter, Fairfax County Park Authority spokesperson Judith Pedersen told FFXnow. It is still on track to open in 2025, she said.

As was noted at the meeting, the solar panels will not encroach on the public park.

Despite the challenges, several supervisors shared their excitement that solar panels are finally set to be installed and will fulfill several county goals, including more efficient county land use, cut costs, and greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

“I’m hopeful…that the sun keeps shining,” Gross said.