By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing
• Fire crews responded to a significant blaze in a leasing office building at the Lakeview Apartment Complex in Gloucester Township, New Jersey.
• First-arriving units reported fire throughout the structure upon arrival.
• The incident, on Jan. 11, was upgraded to a second alarm due to the extent of fire conditions.
• Firefighters used a master stream from Tower Ladder 6 and conducted suppression and overhaul operations.
• The residential apartments were not threatened by the fire, according to reports.

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — Firefighters battled a major blaze in the leasing office at the Lakeview Apartment Complex in the Blackwood section of Gloucester Township on Jan. 11 after crews arriving on scene found fire throughout the building.

The incident was upgraded to a second alarm due to heavy fire conditions, though fire officials said the blaze did not extend into the adjacent residential apartments.

Pine Hill Tower Ladder 6 operated its master stream to assist in suppression efforts as crews opened walls and conducted overhaul to ensure the fire was fully extinguished.

No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire has not been publicly released as of the latest update.

By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing
• The Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation paid a celebrity public relations firm to assist with messaging after the deadly Palisades Fire.
• The foundation used donated funds, though neither it nor the department disclosed how much was spent or exactly what services were provided.
• The PR firm, The Lede Company, represents high-profile entertainment clients.
• The expenditure comes amid scrutiny of edits to the LAFD’s after-action report on the wildfire.
• Officials have not confirmed whether the PR firm influenced changes to the official report.

(LOS ANGELES, CA —) The Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, a nonprofit that raises funds for training and equipment, paid a celebrity public relations firm to help shape communications following the deadly Palisades Fire, according to reports.

The foundation used donated funds to contract The Lede Company, a firm whose clientele includes well-known entertainment figures, to provide strategic communications support in the months after the wildfire, officials said.

Neither foundation nor LAFD representatives disclosed the amount paid or specific services the PR firm performed, and a Lede spokesperson declined comment, according to reporting.

The arrangement has drawn attention amid heightened scrutiny of the department’s after-action report on the Palisades Fire, which some former authors said was altered in ways that downplayed key findings about preparedness and response.

Officials have not confirmed whether the public relations firm played any role in editing or revising the wildfire report, and the department cited legal proceedings in declining to answer detailed questions.

By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing
• Santee, California, city leaders advanced plans for a fourth fire station to improve emergency response times.
• The planned station would address coverage gaps in the city’s northeast area.
• An interim facility is already in use, but a permanent station remains unfunded.
• City officials identified potential sites and recommended priorities for construction and staffing.
• Design and funding discussions are expected during upcoming budget meetings.

(SANTEE, CA —) Santee city officials are moving forward with plans to establish a fourth fire station in the northeastern portion of the city to enhance emergency response coverage and reduce response times, according to local reports.

The effort follows ongoing concerns about prolonged response times in parts of the city not adequately served by existing fire stations, city leaders said. An interim facility — Fire Station 20 — opened in the southwestern section last year after voters rejected a tax measure to fund a permanent station.

Officials identified two city-owned locations as viable sites for the next interim station: a former ballfield at Woodglen Vista Park and a site near City Hall. City staff recommended the Woodglen Vista site to expedite construction and minimize disruption.

The city council agreed on a staffing model that would add three new positions to the fire department to support operations at the proposed station, with design and environmental review funding to be discussed at an upcoming budget meeting.

Construction of the interim station is expected to begin in January 2027, with operations targeted by December 2027; a permanent station would be sited at City Hall pending future funding.