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Two People Badly Injured in FL Home Explosion

Chris Ferrari

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October 9, 2021

Two People Badly Injured in FL Home Explosion

Hillsborough County Fire Rescue crews responded after a large explosion severely injured two people and caused extensive damage to a Seffner home.

October 08, 2021 – By Natalie Weber – Source Tampa Bay Times

Two adults were severely injured in a Seffner home explosion Thursday afternoon, according to Hillsborough County Fire Rescue spokesperson Jessica Coy.

Details are limited right now, she said, but first responders were called to a home on King Charles Circle around 4:25 p.m.

When first responders arrived, they said about half the home had collapsed. Two adults were taken to a hospital trauma center with severe injuries, Coy said.

NC Crews Battle Fire at Vacant Elementary School

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October 9, 2021

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NC Crews Battle Fire at Vacant Elementary School

Greensboro firefighters tackled a third-alarm fire that broke out at a vacant elementary school building that had already been slated for demolition.

October 08, 2021 – By Jamie Biggs – By Jamie Biggs

Oct. 7—GREENSBORO, NC — Smoke poured from the roof of Peeler Open Elementary on Thursday afternoon, the aftermath of a structure fire that’s likely to hasten the vacant school’s demolition, according to Michelle Reed, chief operating officer for Guilford County Schools.

At about noon Thursday, the Greensboro Fire Department responded to the fire at 2200 Randall St., said Fire Chief Jim Robinson.

“We arrived to find heavy smoke showing from the building,” Robinson said.

About 70 firefighters took part in extinguishing the blaze, which did not result in any injuries.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, Robinson said.

Robinson indicated there is no reason to believe the fire, confined to one building, was intentionally set by someone inside the building.

“We had a tough time accessing (the building) just due to the boarded up windows. All the doors were locked,” Robinson said.

Robinson said firefighters entered the school through “auxiliary means” and keys that were provided to them.

The school has been vacant since 2018, when it and Hampton Elementary were damaged and closed by a tornado that devastated east Greensboro.

Under Guilford County’s $300 million 2020 capital bond projects, a new Hampton-Peeler School will be constructed at the Peeler site.

Thursday’s fire shouldn’t hinder that plan.

“We are actually going to be accelerating the demolition of the school, which was previously slated for 2022,” Reed said.

That demolition may take place within the next couple of weeks, according to Reed.

Visit the News & Record (Greensboro, N.C.) at www.news-record.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Falling Tree Seriously Injures Four CA Firefighters

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October 9, 2021

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Falling Tree Seriously Injures Four CA Firefighters

Four firefighters were airlifted with serious injuries after a tree fell and struck them while they were working the KNP Complex fire in Tulare County.

October 08, 2021 – By Lauren Hernández – Source San Francisco Chronicle

Oct. 8—Four firefighters working the KNP Complex blazing in Tulare County were struck by a falling tree on Thursday afternoon, authorities said.

At around 3 p.m., a radio transmission reported that a tree fell and struck four firefighters who were battling the lightning-sparked blaze, according to fire officials.

All four firefighters were taken to a nearby helispot and were airlifted to local hospitals for treatment on serious injuries.

They were in stable condition on Thursday night, officials said.

“We are grateful,” authorities said in a statement.

The KNP Complex, which is comprised of the Colony Fire and the Paradise Fire, has burned 85,952 acres and was 11% contained on Thursday, fire officials said.

Lauren Hernández is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.

Visit the San Francisco Chronicle at www.sfchronicle.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Watch CA Firefighters Tackle Recycling Yard Blaze

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October 9, 2021

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Watch CA Firefighters Tackle Recycling Yard Blaze

Raw video shows Los Angeles County firefighters battling a heavy fire that broke out at a recycling yard in Commerce.

October 08, 2021 – Video from ONSCENE TV.

Two Killed When Plane, Chopper Collide in AZ

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October 2, 2021

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Two Killed When Plane, Chopper Collide in AZ

Chandler Fire Department crews were on scene after two people were killed when a helicopter and a small plane collided in midair Friday.

October 02, 2021 – By Helena Wegner – Source The Charlotte Observer

A midair collision between a helicopter and a plane Friday morning killed two passengers in Arizona, officials said.

The helicopter plunged to the ground and burst into flames near the Chandler Municipal Airport, KNXV-TV reported.

“As soon as it hit the ground it almost … it was quick. It was a quick fireball,” student pilot Tyler Detwiler told KNXV-TV after witnessing the crash.

The other plane landed safely with its two occupants on the runway despite having “damaged landing gear,” the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.

The collision happened around 7:42 a.m., the FAA said.

The aircraft involved were a single-engine Piper PA-28 and a Robinson R22 helicopter, the FAA said. Tail numbers won’t be released until they are verified by investigators.

The plane and helicopter were operated by flight schools, Chandler Fire Department said.

The helicopter was operated by Quantum Helicopters, and the plane was operated by Flight Operations Academy, fire officials said.

Additional updates and further investigation will come from the National Transportation Safety Board, FAA said.

Any witnesses who saw the crash or videotaped it are asked to contact the Chandler Police Department at 480-782-4130.

AZ Crew Rescues Man Struck in Storm Drain for Days

Rescue

FHD Staff

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October 2, 2021

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AZ Crew Rescues Man Struck in Storm Drain for Days

Firefighters rescued a man who said he was stuck in a storm drain for two days after motorists saw him waving his arms from the opening on Thursday.

October 02, 2021 – By Cliff Pinckard – Source cleveland.com

GLENDALE, AZ — Firefighters rescued a man from a storm drain next to a road Thursday after motorists saw him waving his arm from the opening.

A post on Facebook from the Glendale Fire Department says motorists who saw the man waving stopped to see if he was OK. The man told them he was stuck in the drain, so they called 911.

Firefighters opened a manhole near the drain and lowered a ladder. The man was able to climb out to safety.

The man, who was in his 30s, told firefighters he had been in the drain for two days before he was rescued, according to the Associated Press. He told authorities he got into the storm drain system about two days ago at a park about a mile from where he was found.

Authorities have been unable to confirm his account.

The man, whose identity was not released, was taken to a hospital for evaluation, according to the fire department.

CA Crews Battle Two Massive Warehouse Fires

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FHD Staff

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October 2, 2021

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CA Crews Battle Two Massive Warehouse Fires

Nearly 400 Los Angeles city and county firefighters spent hours Thursday battling a pair of spectacular warehouse fires in Carson and El Sereno.

October 01, 2021 – By Gregory Yee – Source Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles city and county firefighters battled a pair of warehouse fires in Carson and El Sereno that sent thick, black smoke billowing into the skies Thursday, attracting attention from around the area.

The incidents, which are not related, were brought under control by late evening.

The first fire tore through a warehouse facility in Carson on Thursday afternoon, authorities said.

Crews were dispatched at 2:12 p.m. to a report of a commercial structure fire at 16325 S. Avalon Blvd., according to the L.A. County Fire department.

Units on scene reported smoke and fire showing from the back of the building, firefighters said.

The fire is believed to have started in boxes of rubbing alcohol, firefighters said.

Shortly before 5 p.m., the Fire Department announced it had upgraded the incident again to a “greater alarm,” with about 200 firefighters on scene.

Firefighters made “significant progress” in stopping the heavy fire activity, the Fire Department said shortly before 6 p.m. Crews expected to remain on scene through the night extinguishing hot spots and flare-ups.

Three firefighters were injured while fighting the blaze, with two treated at the scene and one taken to a hospital, the department said. The hospitalized firefighter’s condition was not provided.

Los Angeles city firefighters, meanwhile, battled an inferno that broke out in a commercial building in El Sereno and burned for nearly two hours before more than 100 firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze.

That fire was reported after 5 p.m. at 4900 E. Alhambra Ave., according to the L.A. Fire Department. Preliminary information provided to crews described it as a large, one-story commercial building with flames coming out of the roof.

The fire belched thick plumes of black smoke, attracting the attention of many around University Hills, Cal State L.A. and surrounding areas.

As in Carson, the Alhambra Avenue incident was upgraded to a “greater alarm,” firefighters said.

In all, 146 Los Angeles firefighters were joined by backup crews from the L.A. County Fire Department and contained the fire to a 40,000-square-foot, single-story commercial building that firefighters said had also served as a roller derby auditorium in recent years.

Crews took one hour, 52 minutes to fully extinguish the flames.

One city firefighter suffered a shoulder injury and was taken to a hospital in fair condition, firefighters said. His injury is not considered life-threatening.

Authorities were able to account for all civilians inside and near the building at the time the fire broke out, firefighters said. No other injuries were reported.

Crews were expected to remain on scene through Thursday night to ensure there were no flare-ups, firefighters said. Investigators are looking into what caused the blaze.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

‘Suspicious’ Fire Burns Seven Chicago Homes

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October 2, 2021

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‘Suspicious’ Fire Burns Seven Chicago Homes

Eight people were displaced when seven occupied homes burned in a “suspicious” fire Thursday in Fuller Park on Chicago’s South Side.

October 01, 2021 – By Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas – Source Chicago Tribune

Eight people were displaced and multiple dogs required oxygen when seven occupied homes burned in a “suspicious” fire early Thursday in Chicago’s Fuller Park neighborhood, according to the Fire Department.

More than 150 firefighters were called to the 4900 block of South Princeton Avenue on the South Side about 3:30 a.m. for an extra-alarm blaze that Larry Langford, a spokesman for the Chicago Fire Department, said was thought to have originated on the rear porch of a vacant 2.5-story building at 4920 S. Princeton Ave.

For more than two hours they used 45 pieces of equipment to attack the fire, which spread to homes on either side of the vacant building, Langford said in an email.

“Fire is being investigated as suspicious,” he said. Investigators with the Chicago Police Department’s bombs and arson unit were “working the case along with CFD fire investigation division.”

There were no firefighter or civilian injuries, Langford said. No working smoke detectors had been located as of Thursday morning.

‘The dog woke us up… He’s the hero.’ Puppies rescued after several buildings catch fire in Fuller Park https://t.co/yhVymidlLA pic.twitter.com/9AdWsQQzMC— Ashlee Rezin (@Ashlee_Rezin) September 30, 2021

Of the seven occupied structures, at least four main houses caught fire, as did two coach houses in backyards, fire officials said. The eighth building was the vacant residence where officials believe the fire may have been intentionally set.

“The cause of this fire is still under investigation,” Langford said.

Along with eight residents who were unable to stay in their charred homes, at least four puppies also needed oxygen after they were found experiencing difficulty breathing. Fire officials said the pups were pulled from rear coach houses, but did not specify whether they were all rescued from one home or if they lived in separate dwellings.

Four adult dogs also were rescued, Langford said.

“The Chicago Fire Department remains committed to keeping Chicagoans, and their canine friends, safe,” Langford said.

Forest Service Chief: We Need More Firefighters

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October 2, 2021

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Forest Service Chief: We Need More Firefighters

U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore told lawmakers that the agency needs to reconfigure how it mitigates the risk of intensifying wildfires.

October 01, 2021 – By Erin B. Logan – Source Los Angeles Times

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Forest Service needs to hire more firefighters and reconfigure how it mitigates the risk of wildfires that are growing more intense, the head of the agency told lawmakers Wednesday.

This year “has been devastating in not only the size and frequency of large wildfires but also in terms of sustained activity,” U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore testified before the House Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry.

Moore blamed the severity of recent fire seasons on extreme drought, a warming climate and a century of “overly aggressive suppression policies” that have made forests ripe for more destructive fires.

As of Monday, about 46,000 fires have burned nearly 6 million acres across the West this year, destroying 4,500 structures and killing four federal firefighters this year, Moore said.

About 27,000 firefighters have been deployed by the federal government to fight wildfires this year, but they are still stretched thin. The problem reached a critical point this summer when a burst of early wildfires began in the West amid extreme staffing shortages. A combination of low pay, competition from state and local fire departments and exhaustion from longer and more destructive fire seasons has left federal agencies scrambling to fill positions.

Randy Moore, Chief of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service.

“We have seen highly trained personnel leave the Forest Service; we have experienced some inability to recruit new employees; and we are in a constant mode of training new employees,” Moore said in prepared testimony.

The Biden administration this year boosted the minimum wage from $13 to $15 per hour, enabling the federal government to attract firefighters in states like California and Washington where pay was higher.

“Federal wages for firefighters have not kept pace with wages offered by state, local and private entities in some areas of the United States,” Moore said in written testimony. “Firefighters must be fairly paid for the grueling work they are willing to take on.”

Moore told the Los Angeles Times last week that “we’ll never be able to hire enough firefighters to fight our way out of what’s going on on the landscape. We’re seeing conditions out there that I have not seen in my 40-plus years of working for this agency.”

Last year, California recorded its largest fire season ever. The severe impact these fires have on communities is partly because of the historic approach American officials have taken to eliminating fires.

Before Europeans colonized North America, many Western forests benefited from frequent, low-intensity fires caused by lightning and Indigenous burning practices, experts say. Post-colonization, U.S. officials instead aggressively suppressed fires, upending that beneficial cycle, and helped create an imbalance that makes wildfires more dangerous and more intense.

The forest chief told lawmakers that his agency would instead focus on mitigating the impact of wildfires by more aggressively treating forests before fires begin. Such treatments include thinning underbrush and debris, and clearing dead branches and trees to reduce potential fuel for blazes. Moore testified that such treatments near Lake Tahoe helped stymie the spread of the Caldor fire last month, saving homes and lives.

Moore said about 66 million acres need to be treated, but officials could be nearly as effective if they focus on 20 million critical acres over the next decade.

“We must actively treat forests,” he said. “That’s what it takes to turn this system around.”

Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., said West Coast forests are “in a crisis mode” and that there is no longer a fire season, but a fire year. The federal government needs to devote more financial resources to help the agency shift away from fire suppression to prescribed treatments, Costa said.

“If we continue in this way, I don’t think we are ever going to deal with the crisis or provide the forests with the proper management they deserve.”

Bridge Renamed for PA City’s Fallen Firefighters

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October 2, 2021

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Bridge Renamed for PA City’s Fallen Firefighters

Johnstown’s Franklin Street Bridge was renamed the Firefighters Memorial Bridge in honor of seven city firefighters who have fallen in the line of duty.

October 02, 2021 – By Joshua Byers – Source The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.

JOHNSTOWN, PA — Witnessing downtown Johnstown’s Franklin Street Bridge being renamed on Friday in honor of seven fallen Johnstown city firefighters, including his father, was a special moment for Rich Roberts.

The Maryland state trooper and Johnstown native was 9 years old when his father, Richard, died in the line of duty in February 1989.

“It’s a great honor for all that have fallen,” Roberts said, adding that he appreciates everything the city fire department does.

He was joined at the ceremony on the bridge by several family members, including his paternal uncle, Mark, who was surprised at how fast the legislation to rename the structure went through.

“It’s just a true honor to their bravery and courage,” Mark Roberts said.

Friday’s event was hosted by state Rep. Jim Rigby, R- Ferndale, who penned House Bill 124, which renamed the Franklin Street structure the City of Johnstown Firefighters Memorial Bridge.

Rigby noted the importance of the day and offered thanks to state Sen. Wayne Langerholc, R- Richland Township, who chairs the Pennsylvania Senate Transportation Committee, for his assistance in pushing the legislation through and for adding a section stating that the bridge will also honor any future city firefighters who die in the line of duty.

“This is an important day for the city and the City of Johnstown Fire Department,” Assistant Chief James McCann said. He led the event and introduced each speaker.

McCann said the renaming was a “fitting tribute.”

The idea to do so came from a citizen who stopped in the station one day and made the recommendation.

It was International Association of Fire Fighters Local 463 President Eric Miller who suggested all seven — Capt. Jacob Grafe, Joseph Costanzo, Thomas Potter, John Brindle, Robert Urbasik, Richard Roberts and Capt. John Slezak — be honored.

McCann contacted Rigby to get the ball rolling and later reached out to PennDOT to see about repainting the structure because he knew rehabilitation work would happen soon. His request was approved, and the assistant chief recommended “International Orange” paint — the same color as the famous Golden Gate Bridge, which is partially made of steel from Bethlehem Steel.

“To be able to tie these in is fitting for the city of Johnstown,” McCann said.

Repainting and renaming the bridge was Phase One of a two-part project. Miller said the next phase is rehabilitating the firefighters’ memorial park beside First United Methodist Church at the corner of Vine and Franklin streets. That will be completed next year.

For Robyn (Costanzo) Marsden, the ceremony was a welcome re-connection to her family’s roots.

She lives outside the area, and when investigating her grandfather, Joseph Costanzo, one of the firefighters honored by the bridge, she discovered a Facebook post about Friday’s event.

“I was just looking for some information,” Marsden said. “What a really sweet outcome.”

She plans on returning to the city next year for the park dedication.

During the ceremony, Rigby and Langerholc presented Miller with a framed copy of H.B. 124, and Johnstown City Mayor Frank Janakovic read a proclamation renaming the bridge before handing it to him.

The former Franklin Street Bridge was closed in July for a $1.3 million repair project and reopened on Friday.

Thomas Prestash, PennDOT District 9 executive, said at the ceremony that there are 333 state-owned bridges in Cambria County and just 22 are named.

Visit The Tribune-Democrat (Johnstown, Pa.) at www.tribune-democrat.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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