PHOTOS: This summer has seen ferocious wildfires tearing across southern Europe earlier in the season than usual. More than 240,000 acres of land have already been destroyed across Spain, with a recent blaze in the south quickly turning into one the country’s deadliest.

Preventing wildfires has become a high-tech endeavor of satellites, drones and AI systems. But 80 miles south of Barcelona, an ancient solution is quietly roaming across the mountain. It’s a herd of donkeys.

Tivissa Donkey Firefighters, a nonprofit in southern Catalonia, rehabilitates mistreated and abandoned donkeys and puts them to work as “firefighters.” By grazing the most flammable grasses in mountains and rural areas, they carve natural firebreaks across the dry Mediterranean landscape.

Founder Joan Cedó Sans took in the first few donkeys in 2020; he now has a herd of 62, moving across the region to clear private and public lands thanks to their seemingly endless appetites.

“We’re grateful for the animals that we feel deserve a second opportunity,” he told CNN, in Catalan. Remembering the fires that swept near his land in Catalonia, northeastern Spain, in 2013, he decided to test if the first donkeys would clear the forest undergrowth around it. “They ate everything,” he said.

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VIDEO/PHOTOS: A massive fire engulfed a barn and destroyed the main farm market at Bauman’s Farm on Five Mile Line Road in Penfield on Wednesday.

Crews had been at the scene for hours, ever since flames broke out around 2:30 a.m.

In the daylight, the barn appeared heavily charred, and several parts of the market appeared heavily damaged. At one point, sheriff’s deputies closed both Plank Road and Five Mile Line Road as multiple fire departments worked to control the blaze.

In a statement on Instagram, the Bauman family said they “experienced a heartbreaking loss” but are grateful for the first responders who worked throughout the night to contain the fire. The Penfield, Webster, West Webster, Brighton, and Irondequoit fire departments all responded.

The family also said they’ve already received “overwhelming support, prayers, and kind messages” from community members. First responders told News10NBC that the owner was at the scene, assessing the damage.

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VIDEO: A Phoenix firefighter donated one of her kidneys to her husband, a Surprise firefighter, after he was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease and entered stage 5 kidney failure.

Maddy Geer and Junior Coleman underwent surgery Thursday, and the couple is now recovering at home in Surprise. “When you’re 30 years old, we’re healthy, we’re fit, we work out all the time. You never expect something like this to happen,” Geer said.

Coleman, 31, was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease last April. Geer, 29, said she immediately volunteered to be tested as a potential donor.

“Ever since he got diagnosed with it, I was like, if I’m a match, it’s meant to be because I’m going to give you my kidney,” Geer said. The two were a match.

Coleman said fatigue and blurry vision were the first signs that something was wrong. He had been in stage 5 kidney failure with uncontrolled blood pressure and required dialysis three times a week for three months before the transplant.

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VIDEO: A worker was stranded in a Wilmington gas station sign for hours Tuesday.

Local fire officials said the worker was doing maintenance on the sign, located at 24225 Lorenzo Road in Wilmington, about 11 a.m., when the lift he used to get inside had an issue. The sign off Interstate 55 is roughly 130-feet tall.

There is no ladder inside, fire officials said. There was a huge police response, and a crane was seen being brought in.

The man could be seen inside the sign. He even gave Chopper 7 a “thumbs up.” The man appeared to be in good spirits. Just before 4 p.m., the man was seen getting into the crane basket and slowly brought down to the ground.

He was then placed into a Wilmington Fire Department ambulance. Fire officials said it was difficult finding another lift tall enough to reach him.

Their ladders are only about 100-feet tall. They eventually found a specialized lift at a job site in Joliet, and Illinois State Police escorted it to Wilmington.

Fire officials say the worker refused medical treatment and is expected to be OK.

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A fire broke out in Roy Monday afternoon, destroying multiple homes and forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate.

North Davis Fire District officials said an investigation is still ongoing, but it appears that sparks were generated from a “hot train” — possibly from brakes overheating — that traveled through the area west of the Ogden-Hinckley Airport around 2:30 p.m.

Those sparks then set multiple fires along the railroad tracks, then spread to grass and then into residential areas. Three homes were damaged to a degree that they’re considered a “total loss,” and others had lighter damage to either their exterior or yards.

North Davis Fire Chief Mark Becraft said around 200 residents had to evacuate their homes.

It’s not yet known whether the train in question was a freight train or a FrontRunner, as Becraft said both Union Pacific and Utah Transit Authority use that portion of railroad.

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VIDEO: The Stowe Fire Department is trading ideas and comparing notes with European firefighting professionals as part of an international partnership thousands of miles in the making. Jeff Fischer made the trip from Donnerskirchen, Austria, to Stowe.

“We have European-style gear, different fire tips, different fire hoses, but at the end of the day we’re all here to serve the community,” Fischer said.

His globe-trotting trip is part of an international partnership developed under the National Guard State Partnership Program. The goal is to foster international relationships and professional exchanges between emergency responders.

One of the biggest differences is that the crew at Donnerskirchen is all volunteer. With no staffing shortages, Fischer says it’s because they get kids involved in the fire service young.

“We actually bring kids in, and they learn fire safety, and they get uniforms, and they march with our fire departments in the parades. And they have a sense of community; they have a sense of wanting to join, and that when they come of age, they just naturally convert over,” Fischer said.

Stowe Asst. Fire Chief Scott Reeves agrees and recognizes the challenge in getting young people in the ranks. “Not only just in Stowe but statewide, volunteerism is down. So, if we can get the youth interested early and often, here’s an opportunity for recruitment,” he said.

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VIDEO: Neighbors watched thick smoke and flames consume a Port St. Lucie home after it caught fire Friday evening during a storm.

The fire happened on Bellevue Avenue. Video captured by a nearby resident shows flames coming from the home as smoke billowed into the neighborhood.

Neighbor Leigh Michele said she was inside talking with a friend while listening to thunder from a storm moving through the area when she heard what she believes was a lightning strike.

“I heard the lightning strike. It took out the internet and power briefly, so I knew it was around here. I happened to look at my cameras, and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, that house across the street is on fire,'” she said.

When she looked outside, Michele said the scene was overwhelming.

“I looked out the door. I’m like, ‘Oh, my goodness.’ The area was filled with smoke,” she said. Another neighbor, Glenn Doyle, said he also heard a loud crack during the storm but didn’t initially realize what had happened.

“I heard a loud crack, and it sounded like it came from the front of our house. Didn’t think anything of it,” Doyle said.

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Firefighters were called to an apartment in St. Louis Park Friday afternoon, where a massive blaze was burning at the top of the building. The city of St. Louis Park said the fire was reported at 4:47 p.m. at Helix Apartments, located in the 7500 block of Highway 7.

Upon arrival, fire crews found a fire that appeared to have started on the third-floor balcony of the building, though the city says this has not yet been confirmed.

St. Louis Park Fire said the fire was under control as of 8:30 p.m., with some crews remaining on scene to extinguish hot spots and conduct an overhaul to ensure the fire is completely extinguished.

Firefighters from approximately 20 fire departments were called to the apartment to help contain and extinguish the three-alarm fire.

One person was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and two firefighters were treated on scene for heat-related injuries. Approximately 90 apartment units were affected by the fire.

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VIDEO: Sometimes it’s a simple act of generosity that has the power to make someone feel appreciated. And one Albuquerque man is using his paintbrush to give back to the first responders who once came to his aide.

Walking into 77-year-old Joseph LaForte’s home you would think you walked into a gallery, as colorful paintings line the walls. LaForte has been an artist most of his life and since retiring as a craftsman seven years ago, Laforte’s studio has been the birth place of more and more pieces.

“We’re here in New Mexico, it’s a graveyard, right? It’s got hot air balloons,” said LaForte, pointing to one of his paintings. After a recent medical scare for LaForte, and an emergency involving his 86-year-old wife, his inspirations shifted towards the first responders who answered the call.

“Recently my wife had fallen and broken her hip and they came right away and they were wonderful,” said LaForte. “And as far as the inspiration, I just felt like, wow, these people do a really beautiful thing.”

So, LaForte created this piece to show his appreciation and gifted it to Albuquerque Fire Rescue’s, Station 12.

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Firefighters are investigating how a factory exploded into flames early Sunday morning in Weirsdale.

Marion County Fire Rescue responded to a reported commercial structure fire in the 16600 block of S. Highway 25 after multiple 911 callers reported a large factory building on fire.

Crews were dispatched at 4:02 a.m., and Engine 27 arrived on scene three minutes later to find a 25,000-square-foot, two-story commercial building with about 50% of the structure involved and flames showing through the roof.

Firefighters immediately began an offensive attack while additional resources were requested, escalating the incident to a third alarm. As conditions worsened, crews encountered a structural collapse, downed power lines and a violently behaving fire.

Priorities shifted to protecting nearby homes, adjacent commercial properties, and surrounding wooded areas, firefighters say.

According to MCFR, the fire grew so large that backup units were brought in from Silver Springs, Spruce Creek, Friendship, Rolling Green and The Villages.

The fire was brought under control at 5:04 a.m, an hour after the first alarm. Crews remained on scene afterward to conduct an overhaul and extinguish hot spots.

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A massive three-alarm fire destroyed a fiberglass manufacturing warehouse in far north Fort Worth on Thursday afternoon, reducing a building firefighters described as longer than a football field to rubble.

The fire broke out around 2:45 p.m. at F&F Composite in the 5800 block of Egg Farm Road, just off North Main Street. Witnesses at the scene said employees inside the manufacturing facility heard a “pop” just before the fire started and quickly evacuated as flames spread through the building.

F&F Composite employee Vincent Ridenhour was not inside the warehouse when the fire began. After learning about the fire, he rushed to the facility and watched as firefighters battled the flames.

“I heard it started in the ceiling and by the time they noticed it, it was already too late,” Ridenhour said. “I’m glad everyone is safe. No one got hurt.”

When firefighters arrived, they initially believed people might still be trapped inside the warehouse. Those concerns were later resolved after crews confirmed everyone had safely evacuated.

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Gov. Kelly Ayotte was surrounded by legislators and first responders Wednesday for the signing of a bill that expands access to mental health coverage for volunteer first responders.

The new law establishes a “First Responders Support Fund,” which will be managed by the state Department of Health and Human Services.

The governor’s office said it will include support for post-traumatic stress disorder.

“By expanding mental health coverage through House Bill 1705, we’re making sure these dedicated men and women have access to the care and support they deserve after everything they do to keep our communities safe,” Ayotte said.

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Two members of Albert Lea Fire Rescue are making their community proud for their performance at the Firefighter Challenge Midwest Region Classic.

Captain Kurt Wallace and Firefighter Kyo Htoo represented the department during the competition in Valparaiso, Indiana with Wallace earning four medals and setting new state and regional timing records.

Wallace placed first in multiple events within the age 50–59 male category including individual race, tandem event and relay event.

Htoo also competed in a large field, placing 18th in the age 18–29 male individual category. The Firefighter Challenge tests competitors’ physical fitness and job-specific skills in a grueling obstacle course that puts participants through five timed tasks that simulate real-life emergencies.

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VIDEO/PHOTOS: Wild video shows a freight train surrounded by huge flames from the roaring Canadian wildfires near Armstrong, Ontario.

According to local sources, three Canadian National Railway Company (CN Rail) trains were halted on their tracks because of the fires in the area.

“This could potentially overtake us here,” said one man on the train. “This has gotten a little scary.” Flames can be seen whipping against the windows of the train as two of the operators inside communicated over the radio for help.

“Ya’ll need to hurry up here. We’re encased in flames now.” Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said that three trains carrying combustible and flammable materials were stopped shortly before 5:00 p.m.

During the video, another train is seen passing the caught train, much to the relief of the crew on board. Sources tell FOX Weather that the crew seen in the video is safe.

OPP released a statement saying, “While there is no immediate threat to public safety, emergency responders and railway officials are working together to assess conditions and support ongoing safety measures.”

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VIDEO: The leading cause of line-of-duty deaths for firefighters is not from fires, although in Worcester there has certainly been terrible tragedy in that regard, such as the Dec. 3, 1999, Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Co. fire, which took the lives of six firefighters.

And while cardiovascular events from stress can definitely be a killer, that is not the leading cause, either.

Rather, cancer is the biggest risk for firefighters, and by a staggering margin. According to the International Association of Fire Fighters nearly 80% of member line-of-duty deaths in 2025 were due to occupational cancer.

“Cancer is a pandemic sweeping through the fire service,” said award-winning Worcester-born filmmaker, writer and actor Tommy Jay Dwyer, who comes from a well-known local family of firefighters. “A lot of it is preventable,” he noted. Preventable in the fire service’s own house — namely, its firehouses.

Dwyer, who now lives in Paxton, hopes to bring the hidden challenges facing today’s firefighters to light as the director of the documentary “Burnin’ Down the House,” which has its world premiere on Aug. 6 at The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester.

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Firefighters responded to a boat fire at a marina in New London on Thursday morning.

The Groton Fire Department confirmed that it provided mutual aid to a situation at Burr’s Marina on Pequot Avenue.

Surveillance video from a Ring camera was shared with Channel 3. It showed the boat on fire. Channel 3’s traffic system reported that Pequot Avenue has been closed in both directions in the area. The road was closed between Gardner Avenue and Shaw and Nameaug streets.

However, dispatchers could not confirm the exact nature of the incident.

The fire marshal arrived on the scene later in the morning.

“It’s a shame. I don’t know these people or their boat, but it’s devastating,” said Matt Garneau, owner of a boat at Burr’s Marina. “Especially in the middle of summer.”

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PHOTOS: One person is dead and three others are missing after a boat with more than a dozen passengers aboard capsized and sank in San Francisco Bay near Alcatraz Island on Tuesday, according to local authorities.

Authorities said they believe 20 people were aboard the Volare, a 50-foot cabin cruiser based out of Stockton, California, when it was hit by a wave, causing it to capsize.

The person who died was taken to the shore severely injured and, despite CPR being administered, was pronounced dead, officials said. He has not been identified but authorities said he was an adult male.

Three people were taken to the hospital and reported to be in stable condition. They were expected to be released later Tuesday.

San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen told reporters that authorities believe that there was some kind of memorial service that the 20 passengers, all adults and mostly comprised of family members, were engaging in on the vessel when it capsized.

The U.S. Coast Guard will continue the search-and-rescue efforts for the three missing passengers. The San Francisco Fire Department said it initially received a call for a fire on the boat at 3:30 p.m. local time. However, authorities said they haven’t yet seen evidence that there was a fire on board.

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VIDEOS/PHOTOS: The Pennsylvania Pump Primers hosted their 50th annual antique fire apparatus shows and muster, featuring one last mass pumping along the Susquehanna before the event moves to Millersburg next year. The event is connecting generations of firefighters and visitors from all over the world.

Dozens of antique fire trucks lined Harrisburg’s riverfront Saturday for a longstanding tradition. And for 16-year-old junior firefighter Michael Stein, the event offered a look at the history of a service he hopes to one day turn into a career.

“Me being new, I see all the newer fire engines and like people and all that, so it’s cool to see the history of it and how many people it brings together,” he said.

Stein joined the West Manchester Township Fire Department two years ago. His grandfather was part of York City, and his stepfather works alongside him at West Manchester. The Pennsylvania Pump Primers’ annual muster gives him a chance to learn from the firefighters who came before him.

“I’ve been asking about what’s changed and what’s still going on, and there are older stories about what they went through and how they got into the fire service and all that stuff like that,” Stein said.

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VIDEO/PHOTOS: A three-alarm fire at a commercial warehouse in Seattle’s Industrial District caused a roof collapse and significant damage to the building. 911 callers first reported the incident along 7th Ave. S. at around 1 a.m.

According to the Seattle Fire Department, arriving crews found that the fire involved two tractor-trailers and the commercial warehouse, with a large column of black smoke rising into the sky.

Large plastic and metal barrels were found inside one trailer and surrounding the building. It was unknown if the barrels were empty or what substance they may have contained, which prompted firefighters to adopt a defensive strategy, battling the flames from a safe distance.

An AlertSeattle notification was sent to residents within a half-mile radius, advising them to close windows and doors to avoid smoke.

The incident escalated rapidly, upgrading to a 2-alarm fire at 1:06 a.m., and then to a 3-alarm fire just 6 minutes later. A total of 115 personnel responded, including fifteen fire engines and seven ladder trucks.

Firefighters used multiple hose lines to douse the flames, while several ladder trucks “raised their aerials to gain elevated vantage points.” Seattle police closed multiple streets in the area while firefighters worked to contain the flames.

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An investigation is underway after a fire destroyed parts of a multi-family home in Enfield Sunday night. It happened on Maple Avenue.

Neighbors told Channel 3 that they believe fireworks started the blaze. They said they noticed the fire appear in the back corner of the home and that charred fireworks were visible at the scene.

Crews arrived to find flames billowing from the roof of the structure. Several departments were involved, including Bradley International Airport firefighters, according to a Connecticut state firefighters union.

They worked to extinguish the fire as flames and smoke filled the air. David Carmona, who lives across the street, said he was inside his home when he began hearing fireworks before the fire broke out.

“They were shooting off fireworks in the street and we’re not talking little firecrackers. We’re talking canons,” Carmona said.

Fire crews from several towns, including Bradley International Airport firefighters, according to a Connecticut state firefighters union, responded to and battled flames that spread to the roof of the structure.

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