VIDEO: A 1929 Mack fire truck that served the Detroit Fire Department, the Detroit Zoo, and the Franklin-Bingham Farms Fire Department is at the center of a community restoration effort — and a family’s tribute to the man who dedicated himself to bringing it back to life.

Gary Roberts, a Franklin firefighter and self-described gearhead, spent years working to restore the historic truck before dying of esophageal cancer at age 70 a few weeks ago. Now, his children are picking up where he left off and launching an online fundraiser to get the Mack parade-ready within the next two years.

The truck’s connection to the Roberts family spans generations. Gary’s father, David, was also a Franklin firefighter who rode the Mack in parades and worked to keep it running after the engine gave out. When David died, Gary took over the restoration. Gary’s son Ben Roberts grew up watching his grandfather tinker with the truck and has his own memories tied to it.

“This has always been part of the family. Been very much engaged on playing with it. I remember very much as a little kid, there used to be a bell that was about right here. You’d ding it all the time. Kids love climbing on this thing in parades. It’s a huge, basically a centerpiece for the Franklin community,” Ben Roberts said.

The post Michigan family carries on father’s mission to restore Franklin’s historic 1929 Mack fire truck appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

VIDEOS: A new public service announcement from the 9/11 Memorial & Museum is aimed at a generation of Americans who have no memory of the attacks. “I wasn’t there. I didn’t see the planes,” a voice says in the 60-second spot.

The campaign targets the roughly 100 million Americans who were not alive on Sept. 11, 2001, those who never witnessed the terrorism and heroism, and never experienced the service and sacrifice of that day.

Among them is 12-year-old Kylie Corrigan. Her father and uncle serve with the FDNY, following in the footsteps of her grandfather, retired FDNY Capt. James Corrigan, who died in the collapse of the South Tower. When asked to take part in the PSA, she agreed immediately.

“I wasn’t there, but I’ll never forget,” she says in the campaign. “I kind of just think of him as my dad because everyone always says that they look alike and they have the same personalities,” Corrigan said.

The PSA is part of the Memorial & Museum’s “Never Forget” fundraising campaign, which aims to raise $25 million.

The post 9/11 Memorial PSA aims to educate millions who weren’t alive during the terror attacks appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

PHOTOS: A massive fire tore through the historic Hudson River Psychiatric Center, drawing a sweeping multi-agency response and destroying a piece of the region’s history.

Poughkeepsie Town Hall said firefighters from multiple departments, county agencies, Town Police and multiple town departments worked “tirelessly to contain the fire” at the former campus. Officials said there have been “no serious injuries.”

Town officials said that “In the last hour despite heroic efforts, we have lost the historic Admin Building designed by Thomas S. Kirkbride-a National Historic Landmark.” Poughkeepsie Town Hall said the town will work with the county on “a very thorough investigation” and provide updates as more information becomes available.

U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler, in a Facebook post, asked residents to support crews on scene:

“Please keep the firefighters and first responders battling the fire at Hudson River Psychiatric Center in Dutchess County in your prayers. With two fully involved buildings, this has been a significant and dangerous response. Thank you to all of the brave firefighters, EMS personnel, law enforcement officers, and emergency personnel who answered the call and are working tirelessly to protect lives and contain the blaze. We are grateful for your courage and service to our communities. Stay safe.”

The post VIDEOS: Massive fire destroys historic Hudson River Psychiatric Center in New York appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

VIDEO: The retired San Francisco firefighter at the center of a bitter insurance fight has lost his battle against cancer.

Ken Jones passed away Saturday, 14 months after being diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. We first told you about Jones in January — when the 17-year veteran and supporters asked the City Commission for help.

The Fire Department’s insurance carrier, Blue Shield, denied coverage for some of his recommended treatments.

Ken Jones was 70 years old. “After we got some publicity, thank you, a Blue Shield physician reached out to Ken’s physician, and they worked out a different plan that Blue Shield would cover. It’s still an incomplete plan,” said Helen Horvath, Jones’ wife when ABC7 Eyewitness News spoke to her in January, 2026.

Since then, Jones’ story has led to an investigation into other cases, with the city’s mayor vowing to support firefighters.

According to San Francisco’s Health Service Board, about 5,000 city employees and retirees are insured by Blue Shield. Now, city leaders are asking anyone who has been denied cancer treatment to speak up.

Tony Stefani with the Cancer Prevention Foundation said firefighters with a cancer diagnosis have a 14% higher chance of dying than other cancer patients in the general population.

The post Retired San Francisco firefighter dies from lung cancer after losing insurance battle appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

A building belonging to an electrical contracting company in Randolph was destroyed in a fire Wednesday night, according to responding fire officials.

According to the Gardiner Fire Department, a storage building caught fire on the Coutts Brothers property on Barber Road.

The company posted about the “significant fire” on its Facebook page and said it happened in one of the barns on the property.

Nobody was hurt in the fire or during the response to put it out. Several towns were called for mutual aid, including the West Gardiner and Chelsea Fire Departments. Officials could not say what caused the fire.

The post VIDEO: Fire destroys commercial building in Maine appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

PHOTOS: Crews were at the scene of a large two-alarm fire at a landscaping business in the Ames Lake area of Redmond Wednesday morning.

Eastside Fire & Rescue said the business is in the 27900 block of Redmond Fall City Road. That road was closed at the scene. The fire was reported by multiple callers at around 3 a.m.

Battalion Chief Catherine Breault said the fire was escalated to two alarms relatively quickly as a building became engulfed in flames. The fire then spread to trees in the area, a second building, and 15 cars parked in a lot.

Breault said there was a long delay getting water on the fire because water had to be brought in by trucks, as the hydrant in the area didn’t have enough pressure. A lot of explosions were reported from gas tanks and other items in the business.

Firefighters from Bellevue, Fall City, Snoqualmie, and Redmond responded. No injuries have been reported.

The post VIDEO: 15 cars burned as crews battle 2-alarm fire at Washington landscaping business appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

VIDEO: It was ‘up and at ’em’ for West Virginia baseball fans at the NCAA Baseball Regional on Sunday morning.

After watching their Mountaineers drop a marathon of a loss to Kentucky on Saturday, fans of the old gold and blue had their breakfast fixings all set up, and if there were any problems, the “Light Blue Rescue” squad would be there to save the day.

Chris Marshall, a WVU fan from Morgantown, one of the regular tailgaters seen in the Light Blue lot on football Saturdays, is giving his tailgating ambulance some extra work.

“We happened to find an old ambulance sitting on the side of the road,” Marshall said. “You know, after they got some money and you know…we got the tailgate-mobile…had to do a lot of rehab to get it road-worthy, but it’s been a great addition to tailgating.”

Marshall and his friends have converted an out-of-commission ambulance for any tailgating emergency. From coolers to beverages to a place to cook, the old-gold-and-blue-clad ambulance has everything a fan could need.

The post West Virginia University fans convert ambulance into ‘tailgate-mobile’ appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

VIDEO: At least 21 people have been killed and dozens injured after a fire tore through a multi-story building in south Delhi, police in India’s capital say.

Many of the victims were foreigners – including people from South Asian and African countries – who had travelled to India for medical treatment or to accompany relatives undergoing care, local media reported.

The building in the Malviya Nagar area allegedly operated as a bed-and-breakfast catering to patients and relatives of those receiving treatment at a nearby private hospital.

More than 40 people were rescued and taken to hospital. It remains unclear how many were inside the building when the fire broke out. Its cause is not yet known. The blaze is one of the deadliest in recent years in the Indian capital.

“The fire was brought under control quite early on – it was contained very quickly. We have now cleared the building and opened it up for the police,” fire officer AK Malik said.

Delhi minister Ashish Sood said authorities were investigating whether the building had the necessary permissions to operate as a bed-and-breakfast facility, adding that those found responsible for any violations would face criminal action.

The post International News: Foreign nationals among at least 21 killed in India fire appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

Five abandoned homes caught fire early Tuesday morning in Chicago’s south suburbs, leaving some nearby residents without electricity. The fire broke out around 3 a.m. near 155th Street and Turlington Avenue in Harvey. Five homes were involved in the blaze, and no injuries were immediately reported.

According to Alderwoman Colby Chapman, the homes had been abandoned for nearly 10 years. She added that electricity is out near 155th Street and Broadway. ComEd has been notified, but there is no timetable for when power will be restored. The cause of the fire is still unknown.

Chapman said abandoned properties have been a recurring issue in Harvey for years and that the city council is working on legislation to address deteriorating homes and hold property owners accountable.

“This [Tuesday morning fire] is right here in the second ward where I serve. And for about 20 years, many of these homes have been abandoned. And it’s just gonna take an overall coordinated effort as we continue to move forward to bring the city back on its feet,” Chapman said.

“We’re identifying and just overall looking at solutions that can be supportive to the many homes that are in a very dilapidated condition. I think much of this, we have to put the onus on the landowners and ensure that we have a correspondence with them for negligence and holding them accountable for, you know, leaving these distressed properties in our city,” Chapman said.

The post VIDEO: 5 abandoned homes catch fire in Chicago’s south suburbs appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

VIDEO: There’s a new push to increase the number of firefighters on New York City fire engines. Right now, there are five firefighters on only 20 fire engines, which is just 10 percent of the department’s fleet. Supporters want to increase the number of 5 firefighters per engine to half of the entire fleet.

In a year when New York City has seen 46 fatal fires in just the first five months of the year, including a 61-year-old man killed Monday morning in Sunnyside, Queens, city leaders are searching to address the problem to save lives.

“Behind each of these statistics lies a story of sorrow, a life that is cut short, a loss, and a single moment that lasts forever for their loved ones and for our city,” NYC Council Speaker Julie Menin said.

Menin said the firefighters’ unions and several other council members are calling for five-person crews in 86 engine companies that are the busiest and deadliest areas of the city.

“The FDNY only reports how long it takes for the first unit to arrive in a fire. It does not report how long it takes to get water on the fire. It takes quite a bit of time to assemble the entire team. It takes longer to get all the rigs there. That’s why it’s more important to have the first arriving engines having this initial staffing. You get that hose in place quickly,” Andrew Ansbro with the Uniformed Firefighters Association said.

“The fifth firefighter is only not necessarily a silver bullet to stop to solve all of those problems.” During a city council budget meeting on Monday afternoon, FDNY Brass told the council it’s unclear if adding a fifth firefighter will improve response times.

The post Push to add fifth firefighter on engines in New York City to speed up fire response times appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

PHOTOS: Thousands of mourners gathered Monday at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross for the funeral of Boston firefighter Robert “Bobby” Kilduff Jr., who died in the line of duty on May 23, battling a three-alarm fire in Dorchester.

First responders from across Massachusetts and other states — including New Hampshire, New York and California — lined Washington Street in Boston’s South End to salute the funeral procession, at some points standing five people deep.

The procession, including bagpipers, passed under a massive American flag hanging over the street, held in place by the extended ladders of two fire trucks. The fire truck carrying Kilduff’s casket was draped with black bunting; the casket itself was covered with an American flag.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu were among the dignitaries at the funeral. Speaking at the service, Wu said Kilduff “embodies Boston.”

“ For nearly 350 years, longer than anywhere else in America, Boston firefighters have shown up. And when one of our protectors lays down their life in service to our city, every heart in Boston feels the pain of that loss,” Wu said. “Bobby Kilduff answered the call. He gave his life making sure his neighbors got another day.”

The post Thousands gather for funeral of Boston firefighter Robert Kilduff appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

PHOTOS: Firefighters from numerous departments spent Sunday morning fighting a fire at a Groton apartment complex.

According to the City of Groton Fire Department, the fire broke out at The Ledges Apartments at approximately 3 a.m. Poquonnock Bridge Fire District Chief Jeffrey Rheaume said it was a three-alarm fire, and most of the southeast Connecticut fire departments responded for such a large fire.

Norwich Fire Department was among the 18 departments called in to fight the fire. Old Saybrook Fire Department sent 12 firefighters, who “worked the interior of the building conducting secondary searches.”

An Old Saybrook tower ladder also worked alongside other departments outside the building. Rheaume said the building has 44 units and 43 of them were occupied at the time of the fire.

Fire officials said if the units were not damaged by fire, the units were damaged by smoke and water. Rheaume estimated that 60 people were displaced from the fire.

“At first I thought it was a drill,” resident I’Asia Jones said. “The fire alarm woke me up, and my dog woke me up as well.” Sunday afternoon Jones and other residents said they were able to retrieve some of their belongings from inside their units.

The post VIDEOS: 2 firefighters injured, dozens displaced from Connecticut apartment fire appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

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.

The post Houston remembers firefighters lost from deadly Southwest Inn fire, 13 years later appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

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.

The post VIDEOS: Fire destroys more than 200 cars at Montana recycling yard, flames reached 50 feet high appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

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.

The post VIDEO: At least 3 dead, 5 hurt when large explosion destroys Texas apartment building, officials say appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

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.

The post NASA Develops Sensor to Improve Firefighter Safety appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

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.

The post Wisconsin family carries on more than 100 years of firefighting tradition appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

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.

The post VIDEOS: Fireball erupts as massive fire in Northern California scorches barns, vegetation appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

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.

The post New York town celebrates return of 19th-century fire steam engine appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

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.

The post Massachusetts National Guard truck catches fire on I-84 in Connecticut appeared first on Daily Dispatch.