By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing
• A fatal apartment fire in New York City’s East Harlem left three people dead and five others critically injured, FDNY officials said.
• The blaze broke out early Thursday in a multi-unit residential building on East 116th Street.
• Fire crews responded to reports of heavy smoke and fire conditions on arrival.
• Multiple residents were rescued and transported to hospitals with serious injuries.
• Fire officials said the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

NEW YORK, NY — Three people died and at least five others were critically injured in a large apartment fire in the East Harlem neighborhood early Thursday, city fire officials said.

The New York City Fire Department responded around 2 a.m. to reports of an apartment fire with heavy smoke and flames at a multi-unit residential building on East 116th Street, according to FDNY spokespersons.

Firefighters conducted interior searches and rescue operations as the blaze spread through multiple units. Crews extricated numerous residents and emergency medical personnel transported several with serious injuries to local hospitals, officials said.

Investigators are working to determine the origin and cause of the fire, and details on the victims’ identities have not yet been released by authorities.

No additional information was immediately available on the status of displaced residents or the timeline for returning to the building. Fire officials said updates would be provided as the investigation continues.

By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing
• Lexington, Minnesota, officials have closed the city’s fire department, citing unsustainable staffing and operational challenges, and transferred emergency response duties to a neighboring department.
• The interim agreement with the Spring Lake Park-Blaine-Mounds View Fire Department began March 26, the same day Lexington’s fire chief was terminated.
• Spring Lake Park-Blaine-Mounds View will provide fire and emergency services under a 24/7 staffing model.
• City leaders said the move aims to ensure consistent professional service for residents.
• Lexington is evaluating long-term options for fire protection services.

LEXINGTON, MN — City officials in Lexington have shut down the local fire department and entered an agreement with the Spring Lake Park-Blaine-Mounds View Fire Department to provide all fire and emergency services, citing persistent staffing challenges and concerns about sustainability, officials said.

The transition took effect March 26, the same day Lexington terminated its fire chief and enacted an interim management and operations agreement with the neighboring department. Spring Lake Park-Blaine-Mounds View assumed responsibility for emergency responses under a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week staffing model.

City Administrator Bill Petracek said the Lexington Fire Department was no longer sustainable and that the arrangement was intended to maintain consistent and professional fire protection for residents.

Spring Lake Park-Blaine-Mounds View Fire Chief Dan Retka said his department conducted a review of Lexington’s operations, staffing and readiness before taking over full responsibility for emergency responses and ensuring coverage continuity.

Lexington officials are continuing to explore long-term fire protection solutions, and Spring Lake Park-Blaine-Mounds View will continue providing services under the current agreement while discussions proceed.

By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing
• A domestic dispute in Queens, New York, early Thursday led to a powerful explosion and a five-alarm fire that injured several NYPD officers, officials said.
• Officers were responding to a 911 call about a 50-year-old man armed with a knife and a strong smell of gas shortly before the blast occurred.
• The explosion threw officers off their feet and the fire engulfed the three-family home on 130th Street in South Ozone Park.
• Multiple fire units battled the fire and the home collapsed as crews worked to contain the blaze.
• Some residents and officers were taken to area hospitals; the investigation into the cause of the explosion and the suspect’s status is ongoing.

QUEENS, NY — A domestic dispute in South Ozone Park resulted in a massive explosion and a five-alarm fire early Thursday that injured multiple New York City Police Department officers, city officials said.

Police responded about 2:42 a.m. to a 911 call reporting a domestic disturbance at a three-family home on 130th Street, where a 50-year-old man was reportedly armed with a knife and there was a strong odor of gas, according to NYPD Assistant Chief Christopher McIntosh.

As officers attempted to enter a basement apartment with a key provided by a family member, a “massive, fiery explosion” occurred, violently throwing several officers off their feet, McIntosh said. Eight officers were treated for minor burns and one received a head laceration that required stitches.

Fire Department units escalated the situation to a five-alarm blaze after the explosion, and firefighters and EMS personnel worked to extinguish the fire and rescue residents. The structure collapsed and nearby buildings sustained damage, officials said.

Several residents were transported to local hospitals and the Red Cross provided emergency assistance to displaced households, authorities said. The status of the suspect was not immediately clear, and investigators continue to examine the cause of the explosion.

By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing
• Syracuse firefighters responded to a cupcake vending machine explosion inside a commercial building after a suspect detonated an improvised explosive device.
• The blast occurred about 1:42 p.m. Thursday in the lobby of a building at 404 Oak St. and caused extensive damage to the area.
• Two suspects were arrested in connection with the incident; police allege one lit the device and the other acted as a getaway driver.
• No injuries were reported; a subsequent pursuit and firearm recovery followed the explosion.

SYRACUSE, NY — Fire and police units responded Thursday afternoon after an explosive device detonated inside a cupcake vending machine in a commercial building lobby, officials said.

The explosion occurred about 1:42 p.m. in the lobby of 404 Oak St., triggering fire crews and a large emergency response; firefighters fought lingering hazards and assessed damage, while no civilian or responder injuries were reported.

Syracuse police said a 21-year-old suspect allegedly placed an incendiary device inside the vending machine and lit it before fleeing the scene, prompting an investigative and arrest operation.

A second individual, identified as the vehicle driver, was also arrested after a subsequent police pursuit that included recovery of a loaded firearm, authorities said.

Charges in the case include first-degree arson and weapons offenses; investigators continue to develop the investigation as fire and police units complete their respective examinations of the scene.

By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing
• The City of Allentown, Pennsylvania has filed a federal antitrust lawsuit alleging that fire truck manufacturers formed a monopoly that inflated prices and delayed deliveries for fire departments.
• The suit names private equity firm American Industrial Partners and several fire apparatus makers as defendants.
• Allentown joins other cities, including Los Angeles, Milwaukee, San Diego and Portland, in similar legal actions.
• The complaint seeks to break up the alleged monopoly and recover unspecified damages for the city.

ALLENTOWN, PA — The City of Allentown filed a federal antitrust lawsuit April 22 alleging that a private equity firm and a group of fire truck manufacturers created a de facto monopoly that has driven up costs and prolonged delivery times for custom fire apparatus, officials said.

The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, names American Industrial Partners and subsidiaries as well as multiple fire truck makers as defendants in the suit. Allentown accuses the companies of acquiring smaller manufacturers, consolidating operations and eliminating competition to suppress supply and impose higher prices.

Allentown alleges that between 2021 and 2024 the cost of a custom aerial fire truck rose from about $1.46 million to roughly $2 million, while waiting periods for apparatus deliveries lengthened significantly, hampering fire department fleet readiness, the suit says.

The city is seeking a federal court order to dismantle the alleged monopoly and unspecified monetary damages as part of its antitrust claims. The lawsuit comes after other municipal governments, including those in Los Angeles, Milwaukee, San Diego and Portland, sued some of the same manufacturers earlier this year.

The case remains in its early stages, with no trial date set and no rulings issued.

By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing
• FDNY officials say doors left open at a five-alarm apartment fire in the Belmont section of the Bronx helped accelerate the blaze that killed two people and injured others.
• Firefighters and neighbors reported flames and smoke spread rapidly through stairwells and hallways due to the open doors.
• The fire occurred Tuesday in a five-story mixed-use building on East 187th Street, prompting a large emergency response.
• Fire marshals and FDNY investigators continue examining the incident and have not released a confirmed cause.

BELMONT, NY — FDNY officials said open doors at a five-alarm apartment fire helped fuel the rapid spread of flames and smoke that killed two people and injured multiple others in the Bronx earlier this week.

Fire marshals reported that the door of the apartment where the blaze originated, as well as the building’s front entrance, were left open, allowing heat and smoke to travel quickly through a central stairwell and trap residents.

The fire broke out Tuesday afternoon at a five-story residential and commercial building on East 187th Street near Belmont Avenue, where crews arrived to find heavy fire conditions and occupants on fire escapes and in windows.

Dozens of firefighters and supporting EMS personnel battled the blaze, bringing it under control after several hours; at least 11 other people were treated for injuries, officials said.

Investigators have not yet determined what ignited the fire and continue to examine evidence as the department reviews the incident.

By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing
• The Carmel Fire Department in Indiana is launching a pilot program to test augmented reality helmets designed to help firefighters work in smoke-filled environments.
• The AR helmets overlay heat signatures and navigation cues to help firefighters locate victims and hazards where visibility is limited.
• The system can livestream video to incident command, allowing commanders to monitor crews and send visual cues.
• Carmel officials said a three-year, $375,000 pilot is being funded in partnership with a local nonprofit.

CARMEL, IN — The Carmel Fire Department will participate in a pilot program this summer to test augmented reality (AR) helmets that help firefighters navigate smoke-filled buildings and relay visual information to commanders, officials said.

The department is deploying the C-THRU AR system developed by Qwake Technologies, which overlays thermal imaging and navigational cues onto a firefighter’s field of view to identify heat signatures, potential victims and hazards in low-visibility conditions.

During demonstrations inside a smoke-filled training structure, the AR helmets helped users move through rooms by combining thermal imaging with real-time visual guidance, department personnel said. The helmets can also livestream video to command staff and receive tactical cues from incident commanders.

Carmel plans to receive 16 AR helmets and four tablet command units by midsummer as part of the three-year pilot, which city officials said will cost about $375,000 and is supported through a partnership with the local Heroes Club.

Officials said the pilot will allow the department to evaluate the technology’s effectiveness in enhancing situational awareness and firefighter safety under hazardous conditions.