It’s a boy! An explosion that rattled homes within a 20-mile radius Tuesday night is being blamed on a gender reveal celebration at a Kingston quarry that police say involved more than a pound of Tannerite and blue chalk. Many residents in communities across southern New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts reported hearing the explosion just after 7 p.
- PUB DATE: 4/23/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: New Hampshire Union Leader - Metered Site

Residents had to be evacuated for a time, but only minor damage was reported at a dormitory fire early Thursday morning at UW-Eau Claire. According to the Eau Claire Fire Department: The fire was reported at 12:11 a.m. at Oakridge Hall, 810 University Drive. Firefighters arrived to find smoke and heat conditions in the basement trash area.
- PUB DATE: 4/22/2021 11:28:31 AM - SOURCE: Eau Claire Leader-Telegram

One person was hurt during a kitchen fire in Manitowoc early Thursday. At 1:08 a.m., the Manitowoc Fire Rescue Department was called to a residence in the 2300 block of Paul Rd. They arrived to find smoke and flames coming from the building. The occupants were able to escape. One resident was taken to a hospital for smoke inhalation and a burn to the arm.
- PUB DATE: 4/22/2021 5:43:05 AM - SOURCE: WBAY-TV ABC 2 Green Bay

VIDEO: Two people had to jump from the top floor to escape a massive condo fire early Thursday morning in Norfolk. Dispatchers say they were notified around 3 a.m. of the fire in the 4600 block of Mayflower Road, at the Lafayette Cove Condominiums in the Colonial Place neighborhood. Assistant Fire Chief Garry Windley said that two people were rushed to the hospital after they jumped from the top floor of the building.
- PUB DATE: 4/22/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WAVY-TV NBC 10 Portsmouth

Lawmakers have introduced a bill to add vascular rupture to the list of injuries covered under the Volunteer Firefighters’ Benefit Law in honor of a Whitehall firefighter who died in September after suffering a line-of-duty injury last May. James Brooks was second assistant chief of the Whitehall Volunteer Fire Company and was responding to a fire call in Dresden on May 2.
- PUB DATE: 4/22/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Post-Star

A group of off-duty EMTs and an off-duty police officer who all happened to be eating at the same Rahway restaurant sprung into action to save a man choking on his food Monday night. The six medics and the officer were dining at The Waiting Room in Rahway, when the man began choking on a piece of steak around 9:30 p.
- PUB DATE: 4/22/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Union Daily Voice

VIDEO: The southbound lanes of Interstate 35W were treated with a brine solution before a deadly 135-car pileup during February’s winter storm, according to a preliminary investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report on the crash Wednesday. The massive pileup happened on the morning of Feb.
- PUB DATE: 4/22/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KDFW-TV Fox 4 Dallas

President Joe Biden on Wednesday called on Americans to do their patriotic duty and get a COVID shot. He urged businesses (with the enticement of a tax credit) to give their employees the paid time-off to do so. The President’s renewed appeals come as the country is fast-approaching an arguably more difficult stage of its vaccine roll-out—one where demand for the vaccine no longer outstrips supply.
- PUB DATE: 4/22/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Fortune

The Merrill Fire Department held a three-day training workshop specializing in confined space accidents. Accidents are high-risk, low-volume situations. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration said there is an average of 92 deaths per year with confined space accidents, so the Merrill Fire Department is making sure they’re ready when those accidents happen.
- PUB DATE: 4/21/2021 11:11:55 PM - SOURCE: WSAW-TV CBS 7 Wausau

Multiple fire departments in the Fox Valley are teaming up to train new recruits together. Nineteen firefighter recruits from three different departments are spending weeks together, taking their training to new heights through a joint academy. Neenah-Menasha, Oshkosh, and the Grand Chute Fire Departments are currently in week three of the roughly month-long training program.
- PUB DATE: 4/21/2021 5:40:01 PM - SOURCE: WBAY-TV ABC 2 Green Bay

Three members of the Tomahawk Fire Department were honored recently. Captain Lance Powers celebrated 35 years of service this year, while Firefighter Taylor Randall was recognized for ten years of service. Firefighter/Secretary Melissa Nieman was named Firefighter of the Year.
- PUB DATE: 4/21/2021 1:04:57 PM - SOURCE: The Tomahawk Leader

The student who caused a fire at a Viterbo University residence hall is released with a signature bond. According to the police report, student Victoria Unanka was arrested on charges of arson and negligent handling of burning materials. Officers reviewed university security cameras, where footage shows Unanka last in the lounge before the fire started.
- PUB DATE: 4/21/2021 8:20:59 AM - SOURCE: WLAX-TV FOX 25 La Crosse

VIDEOS: A massive fire broke out at a historic Domino Sugar refinery in Baltimore on Tuesday, resulting in a large storage dome collapsing under the flames. Helicopter video posted on Twitter by reporters for WJZ showed the storage dome collapsed, with fires still burning at either end. Other photos and videos of the fire showed smoke plumes wafting across much of the city as firefighters continued to battle the blaze.
- PUB DATE: 4/21/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Hill

Firefighters answer the call for help daily. Now there’s an app to help them when they’re in distress. Redline Rescue is a peer-to-peer support portal that connects firefighters who need mental health help with others. They can log on, answer a few screening questions via drop-down lists, and within minutes, locate peers to talk.
- PUB DATE: 4/21/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Spectrum News 13

Mobile hotspots should connect people to the internet — not the local fire department. That’s why Verizon recalled 2.5 million Ellipsis Jetpack mobile hotspots. The exact problem, as stated in the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall alert: “The lithium ion battery in the hotspots can overheat, posing fire and burn hazards.
- PUB DATE: 4/21/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Government Technology

Henrico Firefighters are giving back to kids in the Highland Springs community with baseball. They hosted a clinic over the weekend as part of a new partnership to support the community they live in. The firefighters stepped up to bat to teach new techniques to kids in the Highland Springs Little League.
- PUB DATE: 4/21/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WRIC-TV ABC 8 Richmond

In 2018 there were about 181,500 highway vehicle fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association. The vast majority of those were gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles. For whatever reason, we expect and accept that. But with EV fires it's different. The National Traffic Safety Board addressed these EV fires in January with a report noting that there are two main safety issues.
- PUB DATE: 4/21/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Car Buzz

No injuries were reported following a fire at Sheboygan’s Edgewater Power Plant Tuesday morning. According to Sheboygan Fire Department, crews were called to the plant just before 11 a.m. When they arrived, they found smoke coming from the plant’s dust-collector, and were met by members of the Edgewater Fire Brigade.
- PUB DATE: 4/20/2021 6:39:50 PM - SOURCE: WBAY-TV ABC 2 Green Bay

One of the private ambulance companies that help cover 911 calls is seeking an end to its agreement with the city. Midwest Medical Transportation Company, which owns the private ambulance company Paratech, sent a letter to the Milwaukee Fire Chief stating its intent to terminate its 911 agreement with the city.
- PUB DATE: 4/20/2021 8:22:56 AM - SOURCE: WTMJ-TV NBC 4 Milwaukee

The La Crosse Fire Department says a Viterbo University student was arrested for intentionally starting a fire at a residence hall. Fire officials say they were dispatched for a fire alarm at Marian Hall early Sunday morning. A garbage can was on fire on the second-floor lounge and had been put out with a fire extinguisher.
- PUB DATE: 4/20/2021 7:39:14 AM - SOURCE: WLAX & WEUX-TV Fox 25 & 48 La Crosse