VIDEO: It has been 13 years since a five-alarm fire at the Southwest Inn in southwest Houston turned into one of the Houston Fire Department’s most devastating losses. First responders were dispatched to the motel along the Southwest Freeway on May 31, 2013.

At the scene, Houston Fire Capt. Bill “Iron Bill” Dowling believed several people were still inside, prompting a rescue push as flames spread through the building.

That effort ended in tragedy when a portion of the structure gave way.

Four firefighters — Robert Bebee, Matthew Renaud, Anne Sullivan and Robert Garner — were killed that day. Capt. Dowling suffered severe injuries and later died in 2017. Thirteen other firefighters were hurt.

In a 2023 remembrance, KPRC 2 meteorologist and anchor Khambrel Marshall described spotting thick smoke while heading back toward the station with photojournalist Wendel Johnson and diverting toward the fire.

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Multiple fire crews from the Missoula area responded to a large fire Sunday afternoon at Axmen Recycling, where more than 100 stacked cars burned in the wrecking yard with flames reaching up to 50 feet high.

The fire was reported just before 1 p.m. at the Wye. The initial cause was not clear.

Missoula Rural Fire District Battalion Chief Ron Lubke said crews arrived to find cars stacked 3 to 6 high and fully engulfed.

“They arrived to find a large pile of cars on fire, some cars anywhere from 3 to 6 stacked high. Probably we’re estimating at least 100 cars, possibly more, that were on fire. We had about 50 ft flames coming off the pile on arrival,” Lubke said.

Lubke said the fire involved cars that had not yet been processed by the recycling center, meaning oil, gas and other flammable fluids were still inside, adding to the intensity of the fire. Some tires and potentially fuel tanks were exploding at the scene. No injuries were reported.

Buildings on the property were threatened when crews arrived. “We did have some buildings that were threatened when we arrived. That was our priority was to keep the fire from getting into the buildings or into other piles of junk cars,” Lubke said.

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PHOTO: A large explosion after a reported gas leak leveled a Dallas apartment building and prompted a massive response from Dallas Fire-Rescue on Thursday afternoon.

At least three people were killed and at least five people were injured, officials confirmed.

The address, 409 E 9th St., corresponds to the El Ricardo apartment building. It is located just east of the Bishop Arts neighborhood, north of the Dallas Zoo and south of downtown.

Aerial images showed a severely damaged building with flames and thick black smoke pouring from the wreckage.

Fire crews had contained the flames by 4 p.m., DFR said, except hot spot flare-ups occurring as fire personnel continued combing through debris from the collapsed two-story structure.

During a press conference Thursday afternoon, Dallas Fire-Rescue Assistant Fire Chief James Russ confirmed that at about 12:47 p.m., crews responded to a gas leak call at the apartment complex. And shortly after, the explosion happened.

By 2:30 p.m., 71 units were on scene for the 5-alarm incident. There were 120 firefighters who responded to the scene.

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VIDEOS/PHOTOS: With peak wildfire season approaching, scientists with NASA’s FireSense project have created low-cost thermal sensors to install on fire bulldozers that will alert firefighters when heat from a nearby fire reaches a dangerous level.

The sensors also provide researchers with important data on what happens beneath the canopy during a fire.

In April, researchers and firefighters gathered in southern Alabama to discuss challenges and advances in firefighting, and to demonstrate the new technology.

The event was part of a collaboration between NASA and the Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC). The goal: to make firefighting safer and gather critical data on fire behavior.

“As we try to develop technologies that allow us to understand and respond to wildfires with our partners, ground observations are vital to provide context for what we are seeing from space,” said Ian Brosnan, program manager for wildland fires at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley.

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VIDEO/PHOTOS: At the Reedsburg Fire Department, one family’s history stretches back more than a century.

It’s been said that the fire house community can feel like a family. For the Dempsey family, the Reedsburg Fire Department truly feels like home.

The Dempsey family’s bloodline at the Reedsburg Fire Department goes back to 1902.

“It wasn’t long after the department started that we had a family member on the department,” Reedsburg Fire Department Assistant Chief Steve Dempsey said.

Charlee and Hunter Dempsey are siblings, and both serve as volunteers at RFD. They are a part of the fifth generation of their family to serve in the department.

“It truly is an honor to be able to carry on that legacy and continue to do what we sod as a family here,” Hunter Dempsey said. “Carrying on that legacy and helping others and helping our community.”

The family’s fire line all started with their great-great grandfather, William Friede.

That legacy continued with their great grandfather John Scoles, their grandfather Chuck Peterson, then onto their dad Steve Dempsey, who serves as the assistant chief and fire inspector.

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A massive fire near Livermore was brought under control Wednesday evening after flames destroyed a barn and scorched nearby buildings amid dry, grassy conditions.

The blaze, named the Tesla Fire, broke out around 2:30 p.m. on a property near Tesla and Cross roads.

Crews from CAL FIRE and the Alameda County Fire Department arrived to find two large barns and surrounding brush fully engulfed in flames.

“It was very smoky conditions, very life-threatening smoke, so what we had to do was attack it from the outside,” said CAL FIRE Battalion Chief Alex Mikesell.

Vehicles, propane tanks, and welding equipment stored inside the structures triggered multiple explosions during the fire, sending a large fireball and thick black smoke into the air.

Neighbors said they heard multiple loud pops during the explosions.

Firefighters spent several hours battling the blaze before bringing it under control after about five hours.

While crews kept the flames from spreading to nearby homes, the two barns were completely destroyed.

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VIDEO: The Village of Owego is welcoming back one of its heroes. The 1866 Amoskeag Steam Fire Engine is back after nearly four decades out of operation.

Patrick Gavin with the Owego Hose Team said the town is believed to own the oldest operating fire steam engine in the United States.

It began to be used just after the Civil War and made a major impact on the Owego Fire Department until the 1920s.

“Steam fire engines replaced bucket brigades and hand pumpers where firefighters would actually have to pump the pumps by hand in a large municipality that would, for a major fire, that would take an upwards of 100 to 150 firefighters to do that job,” Gavin said. “When the steam fire engine was created, it reduced that number down to two firefighters.”

But since the 1980s, the steamer has sat vacant at Owego’s central fire station. Assistant Fire Chief Charlie Olmstead said it was a shell of its former self.

“It was not workable whatsoever. It was just sitting there,” Olmstead said. “It was pretty much wasting away.”

But Gavin and the hose team were determined to bring it back to its former glory.

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VIDEO/PHOTO: Two members of the Massachusetts National Guard are being treated for minor injuries after their vehicle caught fire in Connecticut, officials said.

The fire happened on Wednesday evening on Interstate 84 West in Willington near exit 71.

Mass. National Guard officials said the fire involved an M1075A2 Palletized Load System that was assigned to the 181st Engineer Company.

They were on their way to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey for training.

According to officials, initial reports suggest the fire may have started due to a mechanical failure, but the cause remains under investigation.

Drivers were diverted off the highway at Exit 71, and a portion of I-84 West was closed for hours while crews worked. The highway has since reopened.

“We are grateful for the rapid response and professionalism of the Connecticut State Police, local fire departments, EMS personnel, and all first responders who assisted at the scene,” said National Guard officials.

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PHOTOS: Multiple people were injured and at least one person was killed after a major chemical explosion Tuesday morning at the Nippon Dynawave plant in Longview, an incident authorities described as a complex and hazardous industrial accident.

The one person confirmed dead was identified by his family as Gilbert Bernal, a grandfather whose son also worked at the mill.

Crews with the Longview Fire Department responded to the facility at 7:18 a.m. after a tank containing white liquor ruptured, according to Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue Fire Chief Scott Goldstein.

Officials said there was no direct threat to the surrounding community, but residents were urged to avoid Industrial Way and nearby areas while emergency crews continue response and recovery operations. Nippon Dynawave is a Kraft pulp and paper mill and liquid packaging plant.

White liquor, the chemical involved in the incident, is a highly corrosive alkaline solution primarily made of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide. It is used in the Kraft papermaking process to break down wood chips into pulp.

During a 7 p.m. press conference, Battalion Chief Matt Amos with the Longview Fire Department confirmed multiple critical injuries and fatalities.

Officials said 10 people were transported to area hospitals, including eight plant employees and one firefighter. Authorities confirmed one death.

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VIDEO: A retired firefighter from Rogers Park who was born in Romania has climbed more than one dozen mountains, and despite being in his mid-70s, it seems he hasn’t yet reached his peak.

In Des Plaines, Viorel “Wally” Stirbu was praised after accomplishing a feat most could only dream of. “You can do it if you put your mind together, you train hard, and you’ve got a dream,” Stirbu said.

The 75-year-old retired Chicago firefighter, who spent 27 years with CFD, was honored at the Romanian Heritage Center after becoming one of the oldest mountain climbers to complete the Seven Summits challenge, reaching the highest peak on each of the seven continents.

“It was a little bit emotional because you’re thinking about, ‘Man, this is it? That’s it?'” Stirbu said. After 14 years, Stirbu completed the challenge last week by scaling Mount Everest and unfurling the CFD flag at the literal top of the world.

“To climb Everest at 75 years, it’s an example and a testament of courage,” said Consul General of Romania in Chicago Lucian-Ilie Stnic.

For Stirbu, that climb was bittersweet after surviving an avalanche on Mount Everest in 2015 that killed his friend, Google executive Dan Fredinburg. “I took his picture to the summit, and I say, ‘Hey Dan, you climb with me, man, wherever you are in heaven,'” Stirbu said.

For Stirbu, the journey continues. He says there are more mountains to climb. “But I just want to take my time, recoup, and see what my guide says,” Stirbu said. In his retirement, Stirbu also competes in triathlons. He hopes his accomplishments inspire people of all ages to challenge themselves.

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PHOTOS: The explosion that destroyed a Plainfield Township home, killing a man and critically injuring a woman, was all captured on a neighbor’s Ring camera Tuesday morning.

The footage from a neighbor’s camera shows the home on Rollaway Drive exploding just before 4 a.m. A boom can be heard as a massive fireball goes into the sky. The explosion sent debris across the neighborhood and left the remains of the home in flames, prompting nearly 50 calls to 911, according to the Kent County Sheriff’s Office.

A woman inside the home was rescued by neighbors who heard her calling for help, Kent County Undersheriff Bryan Muir said. Smoke could be seen billowing from what remains, and a scorched car is in the driveway. Neighbors reported hearing a loud bang before seeing the flames at the home.

Muir said the investigation is expected to be “lengthy.” Multiple agencies, along with utility companies and ATF units, were on scene. He said there is no danger to the public at this time.

“It’s not something that happens very often, but thankfully we had some very quick-reacting neighbors that were able to take the female from the home and get her the medical treatment she needed,” Muir said. “So, our thoughts and prayers are with the family that is affected by this.”

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VIDEO: The Cleveland Division of Fire responded to a massive fire under I-490 in Cleveland’s Industrial Valley neighborhood early Tuesday morning.

The call came in around 4:14 a.m., and according to the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) traffic cameras, the fire was near the 2900 block of Independence Road in a two-story abandoned factory building.

The building had been vacant for decades, according to firefighters. Cleveland Fire had a total of nine crews on the scene, including multiple ladders. There were no injuries reported.

According to ODOT, the right lane was blocked on I-490 East beyond I-90 and I-71. Cleveland Fire is still investigating the cause as crews begin to wrap up operations after working through the morning.

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VIDEO: The city of Oshkosh has put its first-ever motor-driven fire truck up for auction, but the former mayor who helped bring it back to Oshkosh 16 years ago says he’s disappointed that the city would let a piece of its history go.

Bidding starts at $5,000 for the 110-plus-year-old fire truck, a number that is lower than its initial purchase price dating back to 1915, when the city partnered with a prominent automobile dealership in Oshkosh to purchase the fire truck for $6,800.

It stayed in active service until 1948, when it was retired and only used for public events for nine more years. The city of Oshkosh then sold the fire truck, which would go through many different owners, experiencing both deterioration and restoration over several decades.

In 2009, an Oshkosh fire captain found the fire truck in Princeton, Illinois, and arranged for then-Mayor Paul Esslinger and other fire officials to meet with the owner and do an inspection.

They liked what they saw, and by 2010, Esslinger purchased the fire truck for $10,000, donating it back to the city. Esslinger, who currently sits on the Oshkosh City Council, said learning about the auction posting for the first time felt like a slap in the face.

“I haven’t been told that there’s space needs or anything along that line, and if there was, I think there are plenty of people that would be more than happy to store it for the city, when it’s not going to be used,” Esslinger said.

“It’s just a great historical piece and one that I think, the kids would have loved to ride on in parades and whatever, so getting rid of it is just, it’s baffling to me.”

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Queensland Maroons players have been inspired by the motivational message delivered by New York firefighter James Dowdell as the team prepares for the opening State of Origin match in Sydney.

Dowdell, a New York Fire Department (FDNY) lieutenant, was invited by Maroons head coach Billy Slater to address the players in camp about his experiences.

James turned 17 the day before his father, Lieutenant Kevin Dowdell of Rescue 4, passed away in the South Tower of the World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001. Kevin Dowdell was one of 343 firefighters to lose their lives while helping others on that tragic day.

As history shows, the unity and resilience of the FDNY came to the fore during and after the shocking 9/11 event. In a unified band, James and older brother Patrick joined the search and recovery mission in the rubble with other determined firefighters. Dowdell said his message was about “resilience, leadership and taking action.”

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Crews have put out a fire that broke out in an RV before it spread to a house in Northwest Miami-Dade, officials said.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to the scene of the blaze along Northwest 17th Place, off 122nd Street, at around 4:30 a.m. on Friday.

Cameras captured the property fully engulfed, as bright orange flames shot into the air, prompting an intense firefight.

Speaking with 7News hours later, Ellison Diaz said he lived in the home with his grandparents, and he woke up to the sounds of screams and the fire ripping through their home.

“I looked through my window, and that’s where I saw fire everywhere,” he said. “Obviously, I tried to grab a water hose, extension, and started spraying water everywhere, but honestly, [the flames] just started spreading more, and I just got crazy.”

Within moments, dozens of firefighters filled the neighborhood and cordoned off several streets so fire trucks could move in.

Officials said everyone made it out safely, and no one was hurt. Crews were able to knock down the flames in about an hour and a half.

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VIDEO: It’s one of the most notable fires in Hampton Roads history, as two firefighters were killed battling a fire at an auto parts store in Chesapeake.

Thirty years later, the scars still run deep.

Now, a documentary is out about that fire and the two men who gave their lives that day. It’s called “Brothers in Arms,” and Battalion Chief John Gibson said the two men are still impacting lives.

Monday, March 18, 1996 saw a tragedy no one could have foretold. Firefighters Frank Young and Johnny Hudgins were responding to a fire at the Advanced Auto Parts on Indian River Road.

While inside, debris fell, trapping them. And because radio technology in 1996 was primitive compared to today, their distress call was not heard by the crew. They died inside the building.

But that’s not the moment they want people to remember them in.

“These guys were best friends,” said Chesapeake Fire Battalion Chief John Gibson. “So, Frank Young was John Hudgins’ best man at his wedding.”

Gibson was off-duty at the time of that call 30 years ago.

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VIDEO: A Kalamazoo Public Safety Officer made what the department says is a life-saving catch. Friday around 4 p.m., officers arrived to a house on fire with flames coming out of the roof on Washington Avenue in Kalamazoo, near James Street. Dispatchers were on the phone with a mother who said she and her baby were trapped inside, the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety told me.

Police say body camera video of the incident captured the harrowing moment where dispatch lost contact with the mom.

Moments later, an officer spotted the mother through the upstairs window of the home. He told her to kick out the screen window and drop her baby to him.

After catching the infant, the officer handed the baby off to another officer, then put a ladder under the window to get the woman out safely, said the department.

That officer made sure no one else was inside the home, then got back to his vehicle, put on his turnout gear, and assisted with putting the fire out.

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A car caught fire and exploded Tuesday evening in Lower Manhattan, sending thick black smoke into the air near the Charging Bull statue.

Police and firefighters responded to reports of a car fire near Broadway and Stone Street around 5:45 p.m., according to the FDNY.

Videos from the scene show the car, which appeared to be MTA-affiliated, parked on the side of the road before quickly being consumed by the fire as onlookers awaited for the fire department to arrive.

Firefighters extinguished the flames shortly before 7 p.m. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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VIDEO: New Mexico State Police said 22 people were taken to the hospital after possible exposure to an “unidentified substance” at a home in Mountainair.

Four people were found unresponsive inside a residence on Wednesday; three of them are dead from a suspected overdose. While responding, 18 first responders began experiencing symptoms and, along with the surviving person in the residence, were taken to the University of New Mexico Hospital for treatment.

According to Mountainair Mayor Peter Nieto, three of the four EMTs from Mountainair EMS have been released from the hospital. EMS Chief Josh Lewis will stay overnight for observation.

NMSP said 25 people were exposed. Three died, 18 have been discharged from the hospital, one is in the process of being discharged, and three have been admitted for further treatment.

Mayor Nieto said that carbon monoxide and natural gas has been ruled out as causes. Albuquerque Fire Rescue Hazmat teams are working to identify the substance.

Investigators believe it may be passed through contact and not through the air. NMSP said that there is no threat to the public. People were asked to avoid the area. Officials are still working to identify the substance.

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VIDEOS/PHOTOS: Milwaukee firefighters battled a 5-alarm fire Wednesday night, May 20, at a vacant warehouse near 32nd and Hampton. The Milwaukee Fire Department said calls came in around 6:12 p.m., and crews were on scene in under five minutes.

No injuries were reported. “This was an all-hands-on-deck thing,” Milwaukee fire chief Aaron Lipski said. Lipski said the building had been vacant for years and was built in a mill construction style, making it especially dangerous once engulfed in flames because of the amount of wood inside.

Crews found fire on all four floors of the old building, Lipski said. The southwest corner of the building collapsed. Lipski said investigators did not yet know what caused the fire. He said the building did not have gas or electricity, making the chances of something starting on its own “pretty slim.” The Milwaukee Police Department and MFD’s fire investigation unit were on scene.

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