One person was hospitalized after a large fire broke out at a two-story commercial building in the Winnetka area of Los Angeles early Tuesday morning. The blaze was reported shortly after 5 a.m. in the 21200 block of W. Sherman Way. The street was closed off in both directions. AIR7 was over the scene as crews worked to prevent the fire from spreading to the rest of the building.

The Los Angeles Fire Department said the building suffered a partial roof collapse. A nearby two-story apartment building was not being threatened by the blaze and firefighters applied water to the exterior of the apartment building for additional protection, according to the agency.

One person was taken to the hospital in unknown condition, LAFD said. No further details were immediately known, but it appeared firefighters were making good progress against the fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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VIDEO/PHOTOS: Firefighters believe that puppies brought to the Sky Valley fire station in Gold Bar on Sunday may have overdosed on fentanyl. When they arrived, the three puppies were in critical condition, in respiratory distress, and firefighters knew that since all the puppies had the same symptoms, the cause had to be some kind of environmental poisoning.

Crews worked to save the dogs with CPR, oxygen therapy, and Narcan. “Knowing that fentanyl is one of the major causes of poisoning when introduced in the air as a powder, it was our firefighters’ best guess that the puppies had experienced a fentanyl overdose,” Sky Valley Fire wrote in a Facebook post.

As firefighters worked to revive the puppies, the fire officer in charge called Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) deputies to find the people who had brought the puppies to the fire station. Deputies found those people at their home, where they found three more very ill puppies.

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A burning barge in the Mobile River Monday morning resulted in a response from agencies including the Mobile Fire-Rescue Department and the U.S. Coast Guard.

Hours later, at 1:17 p.m., the Coast Guard advised that the Mobile shipping channel was closed to all traffic from mile marker 2 to mile marker 4 as a result of the fire. During the morning hours, heavy smoke from the barge could be easily seen by motorists crossing the Cochrane-Africatown Bridge.

Emergency responders were quickly on scene, and a fire boat sprayed jets of water onto the barge. Land-based fire crews were also dispatched to the area. According to authorities, the barge was carrying scrap metal cars.

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A massive car fire broke out early Sunday at Raceway Park in Old Bridge, Middlesex County. The fire started just after 2 a.m. and involved more than a dozen cars. Video shows flames shooting from vehicles as firefighters sprayed water to put out the blaze. Officials have not released information on the cause or whether anyone was injured.

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VIDEO: Panama City Beach officials opened a new fire station Thursday after three years of construction, cutting the ribbon on a facility designed to withstand Category 5 hurricanes. Fire and city leaders disconnected a ceremonial hose at Fire Station 32 on Hutchinson Boulevard to signal the station is officially open and ready to respond to emergencies.

The new facility cost just over $7 million, with about half funded through state-secured grants. The station is significantly larger than the old Middle Beach station and is built to hurricane standards that will allow firefighters to remain on duty during major storms.

“With it being a storm-hardened station and rated to withstand those hurricane-force winds, means we don’t have to evacuate our area here,” said Panama City Beach Fire Rescue’s Chief Ray Morgan. “In the past we’ve always had to evacuate that station because it wasn’t safe. So, this allows us to stay right here in the house safely, so we can quickly respond to our community should they need it.”

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VIDEO: With the last name Pigg, there’s no doubt Gary Pigg loves barbecue. And now, he’s taking that love to a level Panthers fans may have never seen before. Sitting in his driveway is a massive Southern Pride commercial smoker, the kind that slowly rotates meat for hours, sealing in smoke and flavor.

It’s impressive on its own. But what makes it truly unforgettable is where it’s mounted on the back of a fully restored 1988 Ford 8000 fire truck. “This truck has been totally redone,” Gary said. “It’s only got about 9,000 miles on it.”

So what does a fire truck, a smoker, and barbecue have to do with the Panthers’ Wild Card matchup against the Rams? Tailgating. And not just any tailgating. Next Level Tailgating, the name of the business he owns.

Gary is known for going big. Really big. From pizza ovens to grills, he’s long been a familiar sight in Panthers parking lots and other events around town. He even has another fire truck decked out in black and blue that he dreamed of turning into a smoker rig one day.

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Three homes were evacuated and one resident was hospitalized as a fire tore through multiple homes on Hope Road early Friday morning. Crews battled flames and heavy smoke as the fire spread, prompting commanding officers to escalate the blaze to three alarms. Firefighters from several towns, including Garfield, Clifton, Rutherford, Paterson and Carlstadt, responded to assist the Passaic Fire Department.

Passaic Mayor Hector Lora told News 12 that residents from 158, 160 and 164 Hope Ave. were evacuated, and one resident was transported to a hospital for smoke inhalation. A total of nine people from four apartments were displaced as a result of the fire, the mayor said. Lora added that a 7-month-old baby who also resided in the home was evacuated and is doing fine.

The Red Cross is assisting the displaced residents with emergency housing and other necessities, Lora said. Ladders stretched to the top of the main building on fire, and firefighters could be seen on the roof trying to bring the blaze under control. Police closed multiple roads in the area near the fire, routing traffic away from the scene.

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VIDEO: After more than 170 grueling hours of training and tests, Emily Gindele graduated from the entry-level firefighter program as a West Whiteland Fire Company volunteer firefighter on Wednesday night. “I never thought I would see this day,” said the 26-year-old from Exton, Pa.

“I’m so excited I can finally do it. After the accident, I was definitely kind of hopeless and thought that I would never get to this point, but I’m here. I did it, and I worked really hard to get here.” It’s a miraculous dream come true for Gindele after a car crash left her critically injured and killed her boyfriend, 25-year-old Colin Reedy, two years ago.

Both of the volunteer firefighters were responding to a call at the time. “It was hard. I went through a lot. My body went through a lot. I still feel pain every day. I still have cognitive issues,” said Gindele. Despite her brain injury, broken bones, stroke and heartache, Gindele wanted to prove to herself she could accomplish her original goal. “I did everything that I could to be like everybody else,” said Gindele.

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VIDEO: Fire departments across Central Texas are preparing to implement mandatory annual cancer screenings for firefighters under a new state law aimed at detecting health issues early. The Wade Cannon Act requires all paid fire departments in Texas to provide annual cancer screenings for employees. Departments have until June 1 to implement the screenings.

“Cancer has always been an issue for firefighters,” said District 54 Representative Pat Curry. “And on top of that, if they’re not getting the annual physicals and they’re not available to them, that can be a real problem.” Hewitt Fire Chief Jonathan Christian said firefighters face constant exposure to carcinogens during emergency calls. “Every time we go into a fire, we come out with all the carcinogens and smoke. It penetrates everything,” Christian said. “We get exposed to a lot.”

Curry said firefighters often encounter unknown hazards during structure fires. “They go out into the middle of these fires, and they don’t know that this house happens to have a bunch of paint or different chemicals in it,” Curry said. “And all of a sudden the garage catches on fire and things start exploding, and they’re breathing in something that could easily give them cancer or kill them.”

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PHOTOS: Bartow city officials said the Bartow Fire Department and Polk County Fire Rescue were working a structure fire at Sonny’s BBQ Restaurant, located at 595 N. Broadway Ave.

A fire that started early Wednesday morning has completely destroyed the Sonny’s BBQ restaurant in Bartow, leaving a community staple that has served the area since 1992 in ruins.

The Bartow Fire Department received a call just after 6 a.m. from an employee who discovered the fire. Officials said the employee noticed it when he heard a loud popping sound coming from above.

“Our pitmaster shows up first thing in the morning to unload meat and get out of there and noticed that obviously that there was a fire,” said Scott Frantz, president of ACG Barbecue, which oversees 30 Sonny’s BBQ franchises.

The fire started in the attic and quickly spread to the roof. Deputy Fire Chief Byron Moore said the flames burned so intensely that the roof eventually collapsed, forcing crews to switch to defensive tactics.

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VIDEO: When someone overdoses, paramedics and EMS are usually the first people arriving to help. That’s why a new law in Pennsylvania is helping first responders and EMS with combating overdoses in the Commonwealth.

The goal of the legislation is to provide more accurate and detailed information to responders on the scene faster. First responders see what’s happening where and how often overdoses occur around Pa. They will also not be required to upload the information onto the Overdose Information Network Dashboard.

“In 2025, we at First Capital EMS responded to 126 opioid overdoses,” executive director of First Capital EMS Benjamin Kirkpatrick said.

The data matters because when officials know where overdoses are spiking, they can move faster to the scene and help people before it’s too late. “Over 5,000 Pennsylvanians die from accidental drug poisoning every year. I mean, that’s a plague,” Senator Doug Mastriano said at a Tuesday afternoon press conference highlighting Act 18 of 2025.

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VIDEO: Maryland firefighters no longer have to pay out-of-pocket for cancer health screenings thanks to a new law that went into effect this year.

House Bill 459 and Senate Bill 374 also known as the James “Jimmy” Malone Act, named after a former Maryland state delegate and lifelong firefighter who died of cancer in 2024, eliminates co-pays for cancer prevention screenings for career firefighters covered by county self-insured health benefit plans.

“The law allows for people that have county covered self insured health benefits plans to have free access without co-pays to cancer preventing screenings so we think that early detection is the best prevention so we fully support that legislation,” Deputy Fire Chief Gordon Wallace of Howard County said.

Firefighters face higher cancer risks than the average person due to repeated exposure to toxins during fires. The carcinogenic byproducts of combustion put first responders at significant health risk throughout their careers.

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It didn’t take long for speculation to settle on Water Street in Waxahachie. At 4:30 a.m. Monday, Kayla Peppers and her family had to act quickly.

“We got woken up by the Waxahachie Police Department,” Peppers said. “I got my kids and everyone and we ran out here. It was just like engulfed in flames.” Peppers snapped photos of the fire next door.

“The flames were already, like, to that tree,” Peppers said. “Very scared. I thought our house was going to catch on fire too…”

The fire covered the Blind Pig Butchery, which officially opened in October 2025. The owners told WFAA off camera they bought the property in 2023. They said it took a little more than two years to fix up the building.

While ashes remained, the whispers on Water Street lingered.

“When we first moved here, I was kind of asking around and they said that Water Street was probably one of the most haunted areas in Waxahachie for some reason,” said Peppers.

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PHOTOS: For the first time, an electric fire truck will be responding to emergencies in Charlotte leaving from the city’s first all-electric fire station. The city held an uncoupling ceremony Tuesday at Fire House 30 where Charlotte Fire and city leaders officially welcomed the new station into service.

According to Chief Reginald Johnson, the station replaces a 35-year-old fire house known affectionately as “Grandma’s House” that the department has long out-grown.

“The new firehouse represents the same commitment now matched with the resources needed for today and the flexibility needed for tomorrow,” he said. The new station cost $10.3 million to build and includes all electric appliances, a geothermal heat pump system and a rooftop solar array that provides enough energy to offset about 29% of the building’s power.

The station will also be home to the city’s first electric fire truck. Charlotte’s Chief Sustainability Officer Heather Bolick said this truck will serve as a test to see how well trucks like this can meet the needs of the city. “We definitely want to see this in action,” she said.

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PHOTOS: Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a proclamation declaring Jan. 7 as a day of remembrance for the victims of the Los Angeles fires. In honor of the day, flags at all state buildings will be flown at half-staff.

“One year ago, fire tore through Los Angeles, shattering ordinary days and forever changing the lives of tens of thousands of people in Malibu, Altadena, Pasadena, and the Pacific Palisades,” the proclamation stated. “In a matter of hours, neighborhoods were reduced to ash, families were displaced, and 31 lives were taken — each one irreplaceable, each one deeply loved.”

The proclamation emphasized the ongoing impact of the fires, noting that the loss leaves “wounds that time cannot heal.”

It also highlighted the broader context of wildfires in California, referencing past fires such as the Tubbs, Camp, and North Complex fires. “The past decade has seen fires on a scale once unimaginable – driven by hotter temperatures, prolonged drought, and the accelerating realities of a changing climate,” Newsom said.

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Six people were hurt, almost all of them firefighters, when giant orange flames tore through a residential building in Queens overnight, displacing residents and raining debris, authorities say.

According to the FDNY, a 3:30 a.m. call came in about fire on the first floor of a two-story home in Ridgewood, on Madison Street between Seneca and Onderdonk avenues.

Video posted to the Citizen app showed firefighters encountered heavy flames. Four buildings were impacted in total. It took hours to at least contain the fire, which escalated to five alarms at its peak; by 8:45 a.m., officials said the fire still wasn’t considered under control.

Operations were ongoing throughout the early morning hours Tuesday. Displaced residents in Red Cross blankets were seen standing on the side of the street, watching the firefighting effort.

One of the injured firefighters had an air conditioner topple out a window and fall on him at the scene. He was taken to a hospital with “significant” pain, officials said. The firefighter is expected to be OK.

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A year after twin infernos tore across opposite ends of Los Angeles County, the scars are still visible. Thousands of homes were reduced to rubble, with rebuilding slow, and the death toll showed how a wildfire under extreme weather conditions can turn catastrophic.

The Palisades and Eaton fires ignited within hours of each other on Jan. 6, 2024. These figures show how fast the disaster unfolded and the toll it left behind:

The speed of predicted wind gusts in mountain areas, equivalent to 145 kilometers per hour. Red Flag warnings were issued Jan. 6 for severe wildfire danger as Southern California was buffeted by the region’s notorious Santa Ana winds. Grass and brush were tinder dry after months with little or no rain. The National Weather Service warned it could be a life-threatening wind event. Firefighting assets were pre-positioned in areas deemed to be at especially high risk for fires.

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Flames tore through the Lake House Inn Sunday night, destroying a historic supper club near Edgerton that had stood for generations as a place for family gatherings and community connection.

The Lake House Inn was deemed a total loss after crews were called to the property at 8:28 p.m. for reports of smoke in the area, according to Rock County Communications.

When firefighters arrived, they saw flames coming from the structure. Lakeside Fire Rescue requested mutual aid, prompting multiple agencies to respond, including the Rock County Sheriff’s Office. Officials urged nearby residents to close doors and windows due to heavy smoke. By 11:30 p.m., flames had been extinguished, though WMTV crews on scene could still see smoke rising from the remains of the building as firefighters continued their work overnight.

The sheriff’s office said the business was closed at the time of the fire and confirmed no one was inside. Investigators later determined the building was a total loss. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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PHOTOS: A massive fire that tore through a three-story apartment complex under construction in Denver on Friday evening was still smoldering over the weekend as crews battled hotspots.

The blaze erupted at the Harker Heights building site at around 6:45 p.m. Friday near S. Leetsdale Drive and S. Forest Street, forcing street closures, evacuations and injuring one firefighter. No other injuries were reported. S. Leetsdale Drive remains closed between S. Forest and S. Holly streets.

Evacuations were issued for residents behind the construction site on Friday evening due to heat from the fire. Officials said 12 families stayed at an emergency shelter overnight from Friday into Saturday, but the shelter closed around noon on Saturday.

“We just all were rushing into the car, and my dad was grabbing drinks because we didn’t know if we were going to have to stay out of our house all day,” said an evacuee.

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VIDEO: Construction is underway on Boone County’s first child care center built exclusively for first responders. The 10,000-square-foot facility will feature multiple classrooms, indoor and outdoor play areas, and room for future expansion.

“I love this job, but at the end of the day, family comes first,” said Matthew Goodspeed, a single father and emergency telecommunicator said. “I have to do what’s right for my family. Being able to be flexible with child care and being able to work odd or different hours at times will definitely open up some doors.”

The new child care center is being built with a $2.5 million funding agreement appropriated by the Missouri General Assembly and approved by the Boone County Commission. This money covers roughly half of the project’s cost.

“We see this as a way to show our first responders within Boone County government that we have their back, that they can continue to go out and do their critical work each and every day, knowing that their most important asset — their child — is safe at a facility right there on site with them receiving high-quality care,” Boone County Presiding Commissioner Kip Kendrick said.

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