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National Fire News

VIDEO: Electrical box suspected in structure fire in Arizona

Firefighters were working to extinguish a structure fire likely caused by an electrical box near New River Monday morning.

Crews were dispatched to the area of Central Avenue and Honda Bow Road, west of New River Road just before 5 a.m., where they arrived to find heavy flames engulfing a building.

The extinguishment appeared to prove more complex than a typical structure fire due to a large number of items scattered across the property, including several RVs, cars and at least one boat.

All residents had evacuated before firefighters arrived. No injuries were reported, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.

KTVK-TV CBS 3 & KPHO-TV CBS 5 Phoenix (AZ Family) View Full Story

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VIDEOS: New York 5-alarm fire injures at least 17 firefighters, others as blaze damages multiple apartment buildings

Nearly two dozen people were injured, including several New York City firefighters (FDNY) Saturday, when a massive fire broke out at an apartment building in Queens.

FDNY Chief of Fire Operations Kevin Woods said firefighters first got word of the fire at a two-story wooden building in Queens just before 10 a.m., and when they arrived, two buildings were fully involved, and the fire was spreading to a third building.

Woods added that rescuers were able to get to the second floor above the fire “under high heat and zero visibility” where one resident was trapped. “We want to thank the staff at all of these area hospitals for taking care of our personnel,” Woods added.

He said the five-alarm fire, which corresponds to using 250 firefighters, left “heavy damage” to the building and many of the families are displaced.

FOX News View Full Story

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Fallen Kentucky firefighter recognized after more than 90 years

A volunteer firefighter killed in the line of duty 91 years ago is being honored after a storyteller located his long-lost grave in West Prestonsburg last month.

Milt Nelson was a firefighter in Prestonsburg in 1935 when he responded to a Feb. 3 fire that tore through six buildings in the city. Reports say the fire triggered an explosion, sending a pipe from one of the buildings into Nelson. The impact carried him 100 feet and killed him immediately.

Nelson is the Prestonsburg Fire Department’s only recorded line-of-duty death. The department discovered that designation several years ago and soon realized his grave, like his story, had been lost to time.

After seeing her recent work on social media, Captain Tyler Sparks reached out to Shannon Deskins, an Appalachian storyteller and former journalist, for help locating the burial site.

“Captain Sparks reached out to her and said, ‘Hey, we think he might be buried in West Prestonsburg. If you can find that grave, we would really appreciate it.’ It wasn’t a couple days later she found the grave,” said Celina Thomas, chief of the Prestonsburg Fire Department.

WKYT-TV CBS 27 Lexington View Full Story

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VIDEOS: Fire burns down public works storage building near park in Oregon

PHOTOS: Large flames engulfed a city storage building near Happy Valley Park on Sunday afternoon.

The Happy Valley Public Works Operations Building, located at 13910 Southeast Ridgecrest Road, caught fire just before noon, according to Clackamas Fire.

Graham Morrison said he lives near the park and saw the smoke.

“We rode past this and then we came down to my friend’s house, past the park. And then literally 10 minutes later, we just see a giant thing of smoke and we come back and it’s on fire,” Morrison said.

People in the area were urged to stay inside due to the heavy smoke. On Sunday evening, Clackamas Fire said they tested the air and determined there were no further health concerns and lifted a shelter in place order.

“Just because the smoke was so thick and you know, the wind and it was hovering in the area. So, it was just put into place for the safety of the community,” a Clackamas Fire spokesperson said.

Authorities say the building held equipment used to maintain the adjacent Happy Valley Park, and that the east side of the park will be closed until further notice.

KPTV FOX 12 Portland View Full Story

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VIDEOS: Seaplane heading to San Juan Island crashes in Washington state; all 11 aboard rescued

PHOTOS: Emergency crews responded Thursday after a Kenmore Air seaplane went down in the water near Sucia Island in San Juan County.

Kenmore Air said its de Havilland DHC-3 Otter, Flight 140, departed Lake Union in Seattle at about 4:30 p.m. Thursday en route to Roche Harbor on San Juan Island.

The aircraft was involved in an accident in Shallow Bay near Sucia Island at about 5:15 p.m., the airline said. The airline also confirmed there were 10 passengers and one pilot on board.

Orcas Island Fire & Rescue later confirmed that everyone aboard had been rescued and was receiving medical care or being transported from the scene. Kenmore Air said everyone on board has been accounted for.

According to the airline, two injured passengers were taken to a hospital in Bellingham, while two others were transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Seven additional passengers were taken to a U.S. Coast Guard base for further evaluation.

KOMO-TV ABC 4 Seattle View Full Story

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Convenience stores across the nation to thank First Responders with drinks, snacks on 24/7 Day

Convenience stores nationwide are celebrating the people who never clock out.

On July 24, thousands of convenience stores across the country will participate in 24/7 Day, an annual event recognizing first responders, emergency dispatchers, medical personnel and American Red Cross volunteers for their around-the-clock service to communities.

The nationwide celebration is organized by the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) through its “Serve Up Thanks” initiative.

As part of the event, participating convenience stores will offer free coffee, fountain drinks and select snacks to eligible first responders and American Red Cross volunteers as a small token of appreciation for the work they do 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The campaign also encourages customers to support disaster relief efforts by making donations to the American Red Cross at participating stores.

According to NACS, the annual event is designed to recognize the everyday heroes who respond to emergencies, answer 9-1-1 calls, provide medical care and assist communities during disasters.

“Serve Up Thanks” has grown into a nationwide effort, with thousands of convenience stores taking part each year to show appreciation while helping raise funds for the Red Cross’ humanitarian mission.

WBTS-CD NBC 10 Boston View Full Story

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‘It holds the memories of that day’: 21-foot steel beam from original Twin Towers makes stop in Utah ahead of 9/11 anniversary

VIDEO: On Thursday, Salt Lake welcomed a somber piece of history into the heart of the city.

A 16,900-pound steel beam, recovered from the rubble of the original World Trade Center after September 11, 2001, is touring across the United States ahead of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, and on Thursday, Utahns had the chance to see it in the flesh.

Stephan Siller Jr., son of a FDNY firefighter who lost his life saving others on 9/11, is using this tour as a symbolic memorandum of his father and all of the other first responders who gave their lives that day.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, Stephen Siller had just finished his shift as an FDNY firefighter when he heard over his scanner that a plane had crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

Unfortunately, due to the security measures put in place that day, Siller could not get to the towers in order to help without an emergency vehicle.

So instead, he parked his car at the entrance of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, strapped nearly 70 pounds of gear to his back, and ran two miles to the Twin Towers.

KTVX-TV ABC 4 Salt Lake City View Full Story

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VIDEO: Crews battle fire at Ohio apartment complex; no injuries reported

Emergency crews responded to a fire at the Barrington Place apartments in Westlake on Wednesday morning. According to Westlake police, no injuries were reported. Officers evacuated residents from the building’s first and second floors while firefighters cleared the third floor.

Westlake Fire Capt. Russell Hetman told 3News the fire started on the third floor. When firefighters arrived, they encountered heavy fire conditions, with flames extending through the roof. Crews were able to safely evacuate everyone from the building.

The fire has since been knocked down, but firefighters continued to extinguish hot spots. Officials believe the blaze originated on a third-floor balcony.

The Westlake Fire Department was assisted by fire crews from Avon, Lakewood, Bay Village and Rocky River. Hetman said the building’s third floor was heavily damaged.

WKYC-TV NBC 3 Cleveland View Full Story

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Oklahoma firefighters train for emergencies that happen to their own

VIDEO: For firefighters, every second counts — especially when the person in danger is one of their own. The Tulsa Fire Department is making sure crews are ready for the unexpected through specialized training focused on rescuing fellow firefighters in life-threatening situations.

Tulsa firefighters are taking part in specialized “May Day” training designed to prepare them for one of the most dangerous situations they can face — rescuing one of their own.

The training is part of the Tulsa Fire Department’s regular curriculum and teaches firefighters how to quickly remove a colleague’s protective gear and get them to safety if they become trapped, injured or suffer a medical emergency while fighting a fire.

Training Captain Jacob Younger said firefighters face a variety of hazards that can suddenly put a crew member in danger.

“There could be a number of different things that cause an issue that force us to have to pull one of our own out of the fire,” Younger said. “It can be an equipment malfunction, outside of our control. It can be a collapse. It could be the fire conditions itself that overrun what our capabilities are. Or it could be a medical emergency.”

The Tulsa Fire Department estimates one to two firefighters are treated each month for cardiac emergencies, making medical response a key part of the training.

KOTV-DT CBS 6 Tulsa View Full Story

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International News: ‘Firefighter donkeys’ are helping prevent wildfires from spreading in Spain

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.

CNN World News View Full Story

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‘Heartbreaking loss’: Massive fire engulfs barn, destroys farm market in New York

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.

WHEC-TV NBC 10 Rochester View Full Story

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Arizona firefighter donates kidney to husband, a fellow firefighter

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.

KTVK-TV CBS 3 & KPHO-TV CBS 5 Phoenix (AZ Family) View Full Story

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Worker rescued after being stranded in 130-foot-tall gas station sign for hours in Illinois

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.

WLS-TV ABC 7 Chicago View Full Story

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VIDEOS: Three homes destroyed, 200 evacuated in Utah after fire spreads from railroad to neighborhood

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.

KSTU-TV FOX 13 Salt Lake City View Full Story

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Vermont fire department hosts Austrian firefighter through international exchange program

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.

WCAX-TV CBS 3 Burlington View Full Story

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Video shows Florida home catch fire during storm

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.

WBPF-TV ABC 25 West Palm Beach View Full Story

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VIDEOS: Massive fire at Minnesota apartments injures 1, displaces residents

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.

KSTP-TV ABC 5 St. Paul View Full Story

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‘I just felt like honoring them’: Man gifts Albuquerque Fire Rescue a painting he created

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.

KRQE-TV CBS/FOX 13 Albuquerque View Full Story

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PHOTOS: Crews battle 3-alarm commercial structure fire in Florida

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.

WESH-TV NBC 2 Orlando View Full Story

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VIDEO: Massive fire destroys Texas fiberglass manufacturing warehouse

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.

WFAA-TV ABC 8 Dallas View Full Story

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