A brush fire on Quantico Marine base is responsible for a smoky smell and ash in the county.

Base officials said crews were battling a fire “crawling through the woods” in a training area on the west side of the base on Tuesday.

“The affected area was too large to extinguish outright so emergency responders limited the spread of the fire by bulldozing a ‘no burn’ zone around it,” base officials said.

Prince William County police on Wednesday night said the wildfire covered in excess of 2,000 acres on the base side of Aden Road. A thick column of smoke could be seen on the horizon along the Va. 234 bypass outside Manassas Wednesday afternoon.

GALLERY: Photos from the fire

Firefighters used a technique called “back-burning” to battle the blaze. Officials describe back-burning as “a controlled burn designed to rob the fire of fuel so it can be managed safely.”

As of Wednesday night, crews are still on the scene.

“The safety of the population aboard the base and the surrounding areas is our number one priority and  the responders will stay on the scene until the fire is extinguished,” Cpl. Antwaun L. Jefferson said.

Many Prince William County residents smelled the smoke and saw ashes falling in their neighborhoods. 

Prince William County Fire and Rescue Department Battalion Chief Curtis Brodie confirmed the smoke was a result of the brush fire at Quantico.

A new deadline has been set to determine the fate of the Prescott House in Manassas.

The fate of the 107-year-old Queen Anne-style house at one of the main entrances to Old Town Manassas has been up in the air since the house’s most recent owner, Dorothy Feaganes, died on Dec. 21.

Before Feaganes’ death, an anonymous benefactor had hired a contractor to repair the house, which with its crumbling porch and other structural problems is considered a hazard by city building officials.

After the owner’s death, no work has been done on the house and now the city of Manassas has set a new deadline for that work to begin.

At Monday’s city council meeting, Manassas city manager John Budesky said the city is issuing a notice that “substantial renovation” must be done on the property by June 1.

“If that is not done by June 1, we will move forward with demolition,” Budesky said at the meeting.

Budesky said the city has not had any communication recently with the Feaganes family or with a bank that had previously indicated interest in foreclosing on the property.

But, Budesky said, city officials are hopeful that the notice of the deadline could spur action on the property.

“We’re still hopeful that there will be substantial improvements,” he said.

Prince William hospital is going the way of Potomac Hospital. Beginning in April, the 170-bed, 49-year-old landmark on Sudley Road becomes Novant Health Prince William Medical Center.

The Heathcote center, Prince William Hospital’s stand-alone emergency room in Haymarket is changing names, too. It will be called Novant Health Haymarket Medical Center.

The change is part of a new branding strategy for North Carolina-based Novant Health, which owns 13 hospitals and more than 100 outpatient facilities medical centers in the southeast.

“Over the past 15 years, Novant Health has grown into a sizeable regional health system,” Carl Armato, president and CEO of Novant Health said in a news release. “In 2013, we will formally join our system under one brand to better serve our communities and bring efficiencies to our operations. Together, our employees and physician partners will unify to create an unmatched healthcare experience for our patients.”

The hospital expects to officially change names in April.

Last year, the 40-year-old Potomac Hospital in Woodbridge became Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center.

UPDATE 3/6 1:25 p.m.:

Prince William County police said in Gainesville, Heathcote Boulevard between Old Carolina Road and James Madison Highway is closed due to downed power lines and in Nokesville, Aden Road is closed between Fitzwater Road and Marstellar Drive because of a tree and wires down.

UPDATE 3/6 12:10 p.m.:

Governor Bob McDonnell declared a state of emergency Wednesday morning.

The declaration authorizes state agencies to assist local governments with snow storm response.

“Over 12 inches of snow already has been reported in several locations along the northern Interstate 81 corridor. Approximately 170,000 customers are currently without power in Virginia, and that number will likely increase as the storm continues to affect Virginia and winds increase,” a press release from the Governor’s office stated.

Members of the Virginia National Guard are staging to help Virginia State Police.

“Motorists should avoid traveling as the snow storm continues across the western, central and northern regions of the state,” the press release said.

UPDATE 3/6 11:30 a.m.:

Virginia State Police said they responded to 13 crashes, 52 calls for disabled vehicles and 192 calls for service Wednesday morning in the region which covers Prince William, Loudoun, Arlington, Alexandria, and Fairfax.

Drivers are advised to add extra time to trips, slow speed based on road conditions, and to remember “state law requires headlights to be on when windshield wipers are in active use,” spokeswoman Corinne Geller wrote in a press release.

Prince William County police suspended the department’s accident policy, meaning officers will not respond to crashes with minor property damage. “Drivers are asked to move their vehicles from the roadway to exchange information,” officials said. “We want to encourage everyone to remain off the roadway unless necessary.”

UPDATE 3/6 11 a.m.: 

Manassas City government offices will close at noon Wednesday due to the weather.

City officials also announced the City Animal Shelter and Manassas Museum are both closed today.

“The Council work session on the Capital Improvement Plan scheduled for this evening has been moved to March 7 at 5:30 p.m. at Public Works,” a press release said. “The Planning Commission meeting scheduled for this evening has been moved to March 7 at 7:30 in Council Chambers.”

American Disposal rescheduled Wednesday’s trash and recycling to Saturday.

Today’s trash pickup in Manassas Park is rescheduled to Saturday.

In Manassas, American Disposal rescheduled Wednesday’s trash and recycling to Saturday.  

City officials also announced the City Animal Shelter and Manassas Museum are both closed today.

“The Council work session on the Capital Improvement Plan scheduled for this evening has been moved to March 7 at 5:30 p.m. at Public Works,” a press release said, and “the Planning Commission meeting scheduled for this evening has been moved to March 7 at 7:30 in Council Chambers.”

In Fairfax County, government offices will close at noon. “Emergency personnel are still required to report for duty,” according to a press release.

Libraries in Fairfax County are closing at 11 a.m. and most public meetings planned for Wednesday night are cancelled.

A powerful March storm made its way through Northern Virginia early Wednesday morning, closing schools as it threatened to dump more than a foot of snow in some parts of the area.