VIDEO: Firefighters from across the region gathered in Hazard this weekend for the 48th Annual Hazard Fire School. While the three-day event is known for its intense, hands-on training, this year’s kickoff focused on a sobering piece of Kentucky history.

Chief John Beatsch of the Southgate Fire Department in northern Kentucky traveled to Hazard to share his firsthand account of the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire. On May 28, 1977, the fire swept through the club in Southgate, Kentucky, claiming the lives of 165 people and injuring hundreds more. It remains the third deadliest nightclub fire in United States history.

At just 21 years old, Beatsch was a firefighter on the first-arriving engine company. He witnessed the chaos and took part in the rescue operations that night. For decades, he says he didn’t feel comfortable talking about it. “Eventually, I came to the point where I felt like I needed to talk about it for myself, for my own healing,” Chief Beatsch said. “And, again, so that people could understand, you know, that it could happen.”

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PHOTOS: The floor of a church building collapsed Thursday morning after it caught fire Wednesday night.

Grand Rapids Fire Department (GRFD) crews responded to a fire at a 133-year-old, non-operating LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church near southeast Sheldon Boulevard and southeast Oakes Street for about seven hours after it ignited Wednesday night around 11 p.m.

Pastor Peter M. Jonker said Christian Reformed Church bought the building in 2017 and planned to turn it into a community “respite center” for people struggling with housing.

“We were a long way down the road with plans to renovate. We spent money. We we’ve had drawings. So we were on the cusp of starting that,” Jonker said. “When we came down, there was just a little smoke, but pretty soon it was fully engaged. Tragic loss for the city.”

By 6 a.m. Thursday, GRFD Battalion Chief Kathleen Thompson said they contained about 90% of the fire. A total of 19 fire crews responded after multiple alarms came in just before 11 p.m., one person even going to GRFD to pound on the door and alert them.

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The Mobile Fire Rescue Department Ladies Combat Challenge Team represented well at the Southeast Regional Firefighter Challenge Classic last weekend, according to the MFRD.

According to an MFRD Facebook post, Captain Jennifer Nelson and Firemedic Amber Dean represented the department in the Firefighter Championship League, not only bringing home awards, but setting Alabama records.

“The ladies crushed their runs and currently hold the Alabama state record for Women’s Tandem,” the post said. Additionally, Nelson placed first overall for women in her age division and set the Alabama record.

“These ladies have trained hard all year to prepare, and we could not be more proud of the hard work, teamwork, and dedication they continue to show while representing Mobile,” the post said. “True inspirations!”

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VIDEO/PHOTOS: It has been 30 years since a South Portland fire claimed the life of a fire department captain.

On August 27, 1996, a fire broke out at the Portland Welding Company. The South Portland Fire Department calls it one of the most challenging fires in its history. The four-alarm fire drew crews from across York and Cumberland counties.

During the response, South Portland Fire Department Capt. Robert Wallingford suffered a heart attack at the scene and later died. The department says Thursday’s anniversary is a time to honor Wallingford’s sacrifice and remember all the crews who responded that day.

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One person is dead and another is critically injured after a massive explosion at a Sand Springs business complex early Thursday morning. The explosion happened around 1 a.m. in the Morrow-Gill business complex near South Lincoln Avenue. Firefighters said the explosion originated at a marijuana grow facility.

Surveillance video from a nearby building captured the explosion, showing a bright flash and a large boom. Sand Springs Fire confirmed one person was killed in the explosion. A second person was taken to a hospital in critical condition.

Multiple emergency crews responded to the scene, including Sand Springs firefighters and police, PSO and Oklahoma Natural Gas.

Drone video from Osage Drone 6 showed crews searching through the rubble and debris scattered throughout the area. Fire Chief Jeremy Wade said the damage affected multiple businesses in the area.

“Multiple businesses have been affected. We’re going to get them in as soon as we can, but we have to make sure everything’s safe before we allow people to go back into businesses,” Wade said.

Firefighters said debris from the explosion was found blocks away from the site. Wade said crews are working to establish an area where business owners can receive information about the situation and learn when they can safely return to their businesses.

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VIDEO: Colorado Springs Fire Department and Colorado Parks and Wildlife are reminding the public to keep their belongings and trash secured after a bear walked into a fire station and grabbed a gear bag.

Colorado Springs firefighters said they believe the bear was “Smokey the Bear,” who walked into the bay at Station 16, grabbed one of their gear bags and ran away.

If you encounter a bear, Colorado Parks and Wildlife says to make loud noises to scare them off and make any encounter with humans “uncomfortable for them.” Colorado Parks and Wildlife has provided more ways to stay safe around bears as more encounters appear across the state.

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Three people, including two firefighters, were injured when a fire tore through two homes in the Ozone Park section of Queens early Thursday morning.

Authorities said the blaze broke out just before 4:45 a.m. on 110th Street. Video from the scene showed flames engulfing both houses as firefighters worked to contain the fire. The cause was not immediately known.

Officials said all three injured people, including the two firefighters, are expected to recover. Firefighters remained at the scene Thursday morning, extinguishing hot spots and investigating what sparked the blaze.

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About four dozen people are without a home Tuesday after a massive 3-alarm fire broke out at a Fort Worth apartment complex before dawn, injuring five people, including a firefighter.

According to the Fort Worth Fire Department, firefighters were called to a fire at an apartment complex on the 6700 block of Calmont Avenue at about 6 a.m.

One firefighter was injured while working to put out the blaze, officials said. Two people were treated at the scene of the fire, and two more were taken to the hospital for treatment. Their conditions are not known.

An evacuation center has been set up at the R.D. Evans Community Center at 3242 Lackland Road. TRE Metro brought in buses to help transport families to that center.

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The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) says glutathione is not FDA-approved for post-exposure firefighter detoxification, while recent recalls have raised concerns over contamination and serious adverse reactions.

Firefighters are being warned against using glutathione treatments marketed for wildfire smoke, PFAS and other occupational exposures after the IAFF said there is no published scientific evidence that the supplement reduces “forever chemical” levels or oxidative stress linked to firefighting.

The International Association of Fire Fighters issued a safety advisory cautioning members that glutathione is not an FDA-approved drug for post-exposure firefighter detoxification in the United States. The union said there has been no formal review confirming that the treatment is safe and effective for that purpose, no requirement to report harmful side effects in the same way as approved drugs, and no FDA review of marketing claims or product labels for accuracy.

Glutathione has been offered to some wildland firefighters through IV infusion or nebulized delivery after smoke exposure, including during recent fires near Spokane, Washington. Supporters have described anecdotal relief from symptoms after breathing toxic smoke, but the IAFF and medical experts said such accounts do not establish whether the treatment works or whether it is safe.

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PHOTOS: Daniel “Dan” Daly, 77, a retired FDNY Battalion Chief and Sept. 11, 2001, first responder, alongside his wife, Annie Daly, 68, have worked for over a decade to spread kindness and remembrance through Fruits of Caring.

The Hopewell Junction pair are hoping to get the larger community involved in their two-person project and passion to help those in need on Sept. 11, the National Day of Service and Remembrance.

Over the past 10 years, on the last Saturday of every month, and on 9/11, Thanksgiving and Christmas at 6 a.m., the Dalys make trips to his former FDNY firehouse on West 31st Street in Manhattan to honor those who lost their lives.

Kindness is the one positive aspect Dan Daly had experienced in the aftermath of 9/11 — he had worked for six months after 9/11 to clean up where “the once proud towers stood,” he said.

Dan Daly would look one way and see the “hellscape” of Ground Zero, he said, but turned the other way to find what he called the “city of angels,” a place he described as having helped rejuvenate himself and increase morale before going back to the horrible pile of debris.

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PHOTOS: A house fire on Detroit’s west side early Tuesday morning spread to the house next door, but the Detroit Fire Department confirmed that no one was injured in the large fire.

The fire happened around 4:30 a.m. at a home in the 1660 block of Burlingame Street. The house, which neighbors say is a vacant home, has been ruled a total loss by fire officials.

Battalion Chief Jeffrey Urbas told us that by the time first responders got there, it was not safe to send firefighters in, because fire was coming from all the windows and the roof. The fire extended to the second floor of the home next door, but DFD got the lone occupant of that next door home out.

“It’s a big home,” Urbas said. “Old construction, heavy timber, so yea like I said, it was going through the roof, I could see it coming here myself. It was a big fire.”

The fire proceeded to spread to the ground, but DFD was able to contain the fire quickly. Demontae Moore lives across the street from the house that caught fire. “Literally I had gotten off of work at 12 (am), so it had been a long night,” Moore said.

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VIDEO: Pregnant firefighters across the nation are struggling with their departments’ reproductive health policies, and a nonprofit created in Washington is working to change that.

Maia Brown has been a firefighter in Washington for 14 years. She said when she first started working, the thought that her career had any effect on her reproductive health never came to mind.

“But as time passed, something inspired me to look into it,” she said. And when she did look into it, Brown said she found that most of the research focused on male firefighters.

“But it didn’t seem like too far of a stretch to imagine that if it’s affecting the men, it’s affecting the women too,” Brown said.

The exposures at play include toxins from fighting active fires, heat, stress, sleep disruption, chemicals in cleaning supplies, and exhaust in the apparatus bay, to name a few.

So, back in 2018, Brown started a website, meant to be a placeholder for the research she could find. “Over time it’s evolved,” she said. “There’s become such an incredible community of people that are also invested in this.”

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PHOTOS: A Martin County Sheriff’s Office helicopter crew is being credited with spotting a large fire late Sunday night and helping get firefighters to the scene before the flames spread to a nearby home.

The MCSO Air One pilot and tactical flight observer were on patrol around 10:30 p.m. when they noticed flames coming from a detached garage along Southwest Martin Highway, according to the sheriff’s office. The crew immediately alerted deputies and Martin County Fire Rescue.

Firefighters arrived to find the roughly 1,600-square-foot structure engulfed in flames, with its roof already gone. The sheriff’s office said the fire was threatening the main home on the property. Crews were able to contain the blaze before it reached the house.

The homeowners were not home at the time, according to MCSO. No one was injured.

Firefighters found a Class C motorhome and a Jeep inside the structure. The sheriff’s office said the garage and both vehicles were completely destroyed.

MCSO praised the Air One crew and responding deputies and firefighters, saying the helicopter crew’s discovery allowed emergency crews to reach the property in time to keep the flames from spreading to the home. Martin County Fire Rescue said the State Fire Marshal was notified. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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PHOTOS: Grand Prairie Fire Department has contained the parking lot fire that set at least 30 vehicles ablaze.

GPFD was dispatched to what was initially reported as a grass fire in the 1200 block of E Avenue J. at approximately 3:48 p.m.

Upon arrival, crews found at least 30 vehicles on fire with heavy smoke showing, upgrading the call to a full assignment.

“We’ve added some more units since just because of the high heat but no injuries. We’re just dealing with rehab and putting it out right now,” said Batallion Chief Jeremy Ashcroft.

People driving by reported hearing explosions as the flames grew.

“Cars on fire will make a lot of noises, exploding within the units themselves. Our biggest concern was the exposure to the buildings nearby, but we were able to contain it to the parking lot,” he said.

Firefighters were able to contain the fire to the vehicles and protect neighboring structures.

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VIDEOS/PHOTOS: The Hawk Fire has burned through 15,040 acres and remains 0% contained after starting on Saturday near Somersett.

Damage assessment teams are assessing structures in the affected area and homeowners will be notified directly if their property has been impacted.

Fire officials held a briefing on Sunday morning where they announced that about 42,000 people remain evacuated and/displaced by the fire. Another 90,000 people live within the zone.

Authorities have implored all of them to leave and be prepared to stay away for several days, because shifting and strengthening winds were expected to make the fire even more unpredictable. Over 1,000 first responders and 800 personnel are helping with the fire.

During the briefing, they announced that some ‘structures’ were damaged or destroyed but they did not give any specific numbers, not until an assessment is done.

The fire moved exceptionally fast Saturday night, jumping over fire trucks and making it difficult for responders to get to hotspots while residents were trying to get out, Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam said.

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Crews with the LaBelle Fire Department, along with the Clewiston and Bayshore Fire Departments, battled a fire involving three boats at the Belle Hatchee Marina on Sunday.

Crews say that the fire has since been put out. Video that a viewer sent in shows dark plumes of smoke billowing from the fire. The owner of one of the boats told Gulf Coast News that he is getting ready to pay tens of thousands of dollars to get his vessel repaired. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

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PHOTOS: A historic Cleveland church was destroyed early Friday morning after a massive fire. Before 2 a.m., the old Friendship Baptist Church at East 55th Street and Central Avenue went up in flames.

19 News crews were on the scene as nearly 60 firefighters responded. Flames engulfed the vacant church before the roof collapsed.

Cleveland Fire Lt. Mike Norman estimated the loss at about $500,000 and said that the building is “irreplaceable.” The church was first built back in the 1890s and has been abandoned for years. There have been no injuries reported.

Norman told 19 News that the cause is still under investigation. “Crews did a nice job protecting a building next door on the south side of E.55. It was unaffected by the inferno,” Cleveland Fire said.

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VIDEO/PHOTOS: Three months after a deadly fire and explosion at a lumber mill in Searsmont, one Maine woman is providing first responders with comfort.

Althea Walker of Hartland donated 20 quilts Thursday to Searsmont firefighters. She says she wanted to take action after Assistant Fire Chief Wayne Woodbury died from his injuries, so she called on fellow quilt makers from Maine to Florida.

Officials in Searsmont say the donation demonstrates just how strong the community is. “It was one of those experiences that I probably will never forget because so many people wanted to let the people who responded that day know that even though they don’t know our name, we’re out there, and that we love them, and we’re hoping these help them heal,” Walker said.

Searsmont Fire and Rescue Chief James Ames says the quilts will serve as a reminder of that support. “I’m going to put my quilt beside my recliner where I sit. Our community’s always been fairly close, always helping one another. I think that will always continue,” Ames said.

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Two firefighters were injured while crews battled a blaze near the campus of Jackson State University, according to the Jackson Fire Department.

Jackson Fire Department units responded to Florence and Rosemont Avenues, at approximately 3:28 a.m. for a report of two vacant, abandoned structures on fire.

Six houses were engulfed in flames when they arrived, and five of those homes were destroyed.

During suppression of the fire, two firefighters were injured. One sustained a burn to the leg, and the other experienced dehydration. Both firefighters have been treated, released, and are expected to make a full recovery.

WLBT crews were on the scene around 4 a.m. and witnessed flames shooting high into the air, along with smoke and debris, with multiple fire crews working.

After the fire was brought under control, a fire investigator was requested. JFD says that the fire will be classified as ‘incendiary’ and is believed to have been caused by some type of human involvement.

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PHOTOS: Bellevue firefighters battled a large fire at an office building at 14670 NE Eighth St. on Wednesday, prompting a full closure of a stretch of the roadway, according to the city.

Firefighters confirmed that everyone inside the building had evacuated the building as Bellevue Fire and several neighboring agencies responded to the incident at the office building between 142nd and 148th Avenues in the Crossroads neighborhood.

Crews were dispatched to the fire at around 11:30 a.m. in response to reports of a fire on the first floor of the business, according to fire officials.

The fire quickly spread to the 2nd floor, and crews worked for a while to put out the flames and hot spots, fire officials said. Two firefighters were transported to local hospitals as a precaution for smoke and head impact, fire officials said.

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