Two downtown Madison businesses are cleaning up after a water leak that sprung overnight from frozen pipes. Fire crews originally were dispatched to the Towers on N. Frances Street to investigate an activated alarm. A leasing manager on-site pointed firefighters to the alarm panel, which led them to the basement where water was actively flooding out of two doors.
- PUB DATE: 12/28/2017 7:52:12 AM - SOURCE: WIBA-AM 1310 News Talk

PHOTO: Officials with the Germantown Fire Department on Wednesday, December 27th, amid bitterly cold temperatures, rescued a cat named Waffles — who was 20 feet up in the air, stuck in a tree! The Germantown FD shared the below photo on social media Wednesday: Kudos to the first responders who helpe
- PUB DATE: 12/28/2017 6:54:48 AM - SOURCE: WMTV-TV NBC 15 Madison

PHOTO: The Merrill Fire Chief says an electrical fire caused nearly $30,000 worth of damage to a home on East Sixth Street Wednesday afternoon. Crews were called to a home on the 1900 block around 5:30 p.m. No one was home at the time of the fire. It was called in by a passerby. Investigators said the damage was contacted to the kitchen.
- PUB DATE: 12/28/2017 6:44:16 AM - SOURCE: WSAW-TV CBS 7 Wausau

On December 26, 14 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

On December 25, 15 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

A proposal to allow the Holmen Area Fire and the La Crosse Fire departments to discuss ways to develop greater cooperation received cautionary support from village representatives on the Holmen Area Fire District Association Board. At fire board’s Dec. 20 meeting, HAFD Fire Chief Paul Menches asked the board to allow him to discuss a fire district concept with the department in La Crosse.
- PUB DATE: 12/28/2017 2:36:16 AM - SOURCE: Onalaska Holmen Courier Life

Investigators are trying to determine what sparked a fire Wednesday night at Harter's Quick Clean Up on La Crosse’s North Side. Firefighters found fire and heavy smoke from the building at 2850 Larson St. about 7:30 p.m., according to the La Crosse Fire Department. All employees had safely evacuated.
- PUB DATE: 12/28/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: La Crosse Tribune

Two Eastern Iowa fires that killed a combined nine people, including four children, within five days made 2017 the deadliest year in more than a decade for fire deaths in Iowa. The State Fire Marshal’s Office reported 38 confirmed fire deaths as of Wednesday, with another 13 expected to go on the list, said Ron Humphrey, special agent in charge of the Office’s Arson and Explosives Bureau.
- PUB DATE: 12/28/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Gazette

West Lebanon Township has suspended and decertified Speedwell Fire Company as a first responder because company members allegedly responded to a call after drinking alcohol. Seven out of nine fire company members who responded to a call at 10:10 p.m. Dec. 14 were under the influence of alcohol, township commissioner John Brenner said in a letter to Lebanon County EMA Director Robert Dowd.
- PUB DATE: 12/28/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Lebanon Daily News

A Hibbing, Minn., fire that claimed several lives Tuesday took a heartbreaking turn on Wednesday when Hibbing authorities revealed that the deaths included a retired city fire captain, his wife and two of their grandchildren. Steven Jon Gillitzer, 67, and his 63-year-old wife Patricia Lynn Gillitzer died at their home while attempting to rescue their grandchildren in 20-below temperatures, the Hibbing fire department said in a statement Wednesday.
- PUB DATE: 12/28/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: mprnews.com

Firefighters across Delaware are moving toward a universal procedure for answering the most serious call that can come over their radios — the one that signals one of their own is in trouble. Delaware firefighters all soon will be using the same mayday signal, an attempt to keep them better coordinated if the worst should happen.
- PUB DATE: 12/28/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: delawareonline.com

A Pompano Beach charity that collected more than $43 million for breast cancer research, families of fallen firefighters and fire victims, kept most of the money, authorities say. The Florida Attorney General’s Office is seeking to shut down the Community Charity Advancement, Inc., which did business as Breast Cancer Research and Support Fund, U.
- PUB DATE: 12/28/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Sun Sentinel

On December 27, 1 residential fire fatality was reported by the Nation's news media.

On December 26, 13 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

On December 25, 14 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

Many firefighters at New Milford Fire Company 1 will remember Frank Matagrano for his 43-plus years of dedication to the company as both a volunteer firefighter and an engineer. Matagrano, 75, died on Friday, nine days after he suffered a stroke, which then led to a heart attack as he was on his way to a scene.
- PUB DATE: 12/27/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Northjersey.com

After over a year of surgeries in an attempt to heal his knee from infection, a firefighter underwent surgery to have his leg amputated. Reporter Herald reported that Berthoud Fire Protection District fire investigator Josh Macdonald was injured in a March 2016 house fire after pulling 75-year-old Cecil Ann Dunfee from her burning home.
- PUB DATE: 12/27/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: FireRescue1.com

Spokane Fire Department said they are seeing an increase of violent calls that have jeopardized the safety of first responders. The Spokane Fire Department responded to a house fire earlier this week. The homeowner became violent. He struck a firefighter in the face while being rescued. He became violent again, striking another first responder.
- PUB DATE: 12/27/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KREM.com

A Kansas City, Kan., firefighter and paramedic was found dead in his bed Tuesday morning at the Fire Station 19 at 80th Terrace and State Avenue, the fire department announced. Jason Garrett was 46 years old and had been with the Kansas City, Kan., Fire Department for five-and-a-half-years. The death is under investigation, but it is believed he died of natural causes.
- PUB DATE: 12/27/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Kansas Star

Kelley Whitelens hiked a steep hill toward the backyard of a home on Coyote Road in Santa Barbara, one hand wiping the sweat from her face, the other pulling up her sagging pants. Whitelens is the only female firefighter in a 19-person team from South Dakota fighting the fierce Thomas fire — which, at 281,620 acres spread across Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, is California’s largest wildfire on record.
- PUB DATE: 12/27/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Los Angeles Times