Category: In The News

Feb. 13, 2023 The Owensboro fire station was searched in connection with the case.

By James Mayse Source Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky. (TNS) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Feb. 11—An Owensboro Fire Department firefighter was arrested Friday with 20 counts of possessing sexually explicit material involving minors.

Clifford G. Brandon III, 53, of Maceo was arrested Friday morning on 18 counts of possession of material depicting a sexual performance by a minor over age 12 but under age 18, and two counts of possession of material depicting a sexual performance by a minor under age 12, according to a release by the Owensboro Police Department.

A separate statement released by City Hall said OPD detectives conducted a search Friday morning at Fire Station 2 on East Parrish Avenue. Officer Dylan Evans, public information officer for OPD, confirmed that Brandon was a member of the city fire department.

OPD reports say a detective attached to the state Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force opened an investigation, and received 21 photos from Brandon’s Google Drive account. Reports say Google forwarded the photos to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, who assigned the case to KYICAC.

Reports say officer Josh Alsip, a forensic interviewer with OPD, wrote he examined the photos and “determined that five of the photos depicted images of children under the age of 18 and two of the photos (depicted) children under the age of 12.”

Alsip was able to confirm the phone number and email associated with the Google account belonged to Brandon, reports say.

Search warrants were served Friday morning at Brandon’s home and at the fire station, reports say. When Brandon’s phone was downloaded and analyzed, “three photos depicting explicit photos of children under 18 were located in (Brandon’s) deleted files,” reports say. A search of Brandon’s iPad found 10 additional “sexual images of children under 18 years” of age, reports say.

Brandon was interviewed at OPD, where he requested legal counsel, and was arrested, reports say.

Possession of material depicting a sexual performance under age 12 is a class C felony. Possession of material depicting a sexual performance by a minor under age 18 is a class D felony.

City human resources director Josh Bachmeier said Brandon has been a firefighter with OFD since 2009. City Fire Chief James Howard said he was unable to comment on the incident.

City Hall’s statement said Brandon has been suspended without pay pending the city’s disciplinary hearing procedure.

In a prepared statement, City Manager Nate Pagan said: “We are aware of the situation that occurred at a city fire station Friday morning and trust in the Owensboro Police Department to conduct a thorough investigation. The city does not condone this behavior and will move forward with an internal procedure to determine disciplinary actions for the employee.”

Brandon was being held Friday in the Daviess County Detention Center.

Feb. 13, 2023 Miami-Dade firefighters say the three biggest challenges are the wind, limited access to the buildings due to melting sheet metal and structure collapses.

By Omar Rodríguez Ortiz Source Miami Herald(TNS) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Firefighters on Monday continued to battle a stubborn blaze at a waste-to-energy plant in Doral. The fire started Sunday and it may take days to extinguish, according to authorities.

Four of 11 buildings at Covanta Energy, 6990 NW 97th Ave., a county-owned facility that specializes in burning waste to produce energy, have been affected and two of them remained on fire late Sunday night, Miami-Dade Fire Chief Ray Jadallah told reporters at a news conference.

The three biggest challenges to douse the flames are the wind, limited access to the buildings due to melting sheet metal and structure collapses, Jadallah added.

No injuries have been reported, according to Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.

“Everyone was safely evacuated,” she said.

Levine Cava added that fire rescue staff was working to contain the fire and conducting air quality tests well into the night.

“All tests have come back clear at this time,” the mayor said.

Meanwhile, the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department is warning nearby residents to stay indoors.

“Residents should stay indoors, keep windows and doors closed, recirculating the air inside the home,” the fire department said.

How the fire started

More than 50 fire rescue units rushed around 2 p.m. Sunday to Covanta Energy, where fire crews found heavy black smoke and fire coming from the structure.

But as of 9:15 p.m., what initially started as a three-alarm fire turned into a four-alarm as around 200 Miami-Dade firefighters were needed to douse the flames.

READ MORE: A fire is torching a waste-to-energy plant in Doral. Here are safety tips for nearby residents

Jadallah told reporters at the news conference that the inferno may have started due to a faulty conveyor belt.

“We believe the fire originated from a conveyor belt that may have moved some of the trash that was on fire to other parts of the building,” he said.

Jadallah added that the fire will likely last several days.

“This is going to be a long-term fire,” he said.

A resident speaks out

The fire continued to impact surrounding communities Sunday night.

Roberto Andrade, a Doral resident who lives near the industrial fire, told the Herald that he is concerned about how the blaze may be impacting his kids’ health.

“There are a lot of chemicals, maybe, and we are very worried about that because of our kids,” he said.

According to the Doral Police Department, the following intersections remained closed Monday:

▪ Northwest 66th Street and Northwest 102nd Avenue

▪ Northwest 97th Avenue and Northwest 74th Street

▪ Northwest 97th Avenue and Northwest 58th Street

“Please avoid the area until further notice,” police said.

Miami Herald photographer Carl Juste contributed to this report.

Feb. 13, 2023 Several people in the Saranac house managed to escape.

By Mike Goodwin Source Times Union, Albany, N.Y.(TNS) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Feb. 13—SARANAC — Two adults and a child died in a house fire Saturday in this Adirondacks Mountain town west of Plattsburgh.

State Police said troopers and firefighters got to the home on Strackville Road at about 3:33 a.m. to investigate a report of people trapped inside a burning building.

The two-story home was engulfed in fire when rescuers arrived, troopers said.

Troopers said they found Robert D. Velie, 21, of Saranac; Katelynn D. Damour, 23, of Chateauguay, and 2-year-old Diesel A. Cook of Peru, dead inside the home.

Clinton County Emergency Services Director Eric Day told the Press-Republican of Plattsburgh a number of people were at the house when the fire began.

“Several were able to escape the blaze,” he said. However, three occupants were unable to exit the building.”

Fire departments from around the region battled the fire.

State Police and state fire investigators are investigating the cause of the fire, but so far, the troopers said, there is no evidence of suspicious activity.

Feb. 13, 2023 Brockton firefighters found people hanging from the windows on the third floor.

By Tréa Lavery Source masslive.com (TNS) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

A three-alarm fire in a home in Brockton that left seven people hospitalized over the weekend was caused by a burning candle, officials said Monday.

Brockton Fire Department received a repot of a fire at 25 Central Square at 12:45 a.m. Sunday, MassLive previously reported. Firefighters arrived to find heavy fire on the second and third floors of the triple-decker building and people hanging from the windows of the third floor.

Five people were rescued using ground ladders and brought to area hospitals along with two others. One of the people was described as being in critical condition on Sunday.

It took about an hour for the fire to be knocked down.

An investigation into the cause of the fire revealed that it was started in a bedroom near the right rear corner of the second floor of the building when a candle ignited flammable items on a bedside table.

“This fire had every potential to be a terrible tragedy, and I want to recognize the outstanding work of Brockton firefighters in rescuing residents from the danger,” Brockton Fire Chief Brian Nardelli said in a statement Monday. “We believe the fire started with a candle, which ignited flammable items nearby. If you use candles at home, please remember to keep anything that can burn at least a foot away on all sides. Always place them on a sturdy, nonflammable saucer or candleholder. And never leave a burning candle unattended – always blow it out before you leave the room or go to sleep.”

“Candles cause about 100 fires each year in Massachusetts,” State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey said. “Almost all of them take place in people’s homes, and almost all of them can be prevented by using extra caution. Even better, try battery-powered alternatives, like flashlights for emergencies and flameless candles for decoration and celebration. They’re much safer than an open flame.”

Feb. 13, 2023 Kirby Firefighter/EMT Konstance Garner wears a different helmet that provides more room for her Cochlear implant.

Source Firehouse.com News

State-of-the-art technology is allowing a Kirby woman make her dream of being a firefighter and EMT a reality.

Konstance Garner, born with a cleft palate that required 20 surgeries and severe hearing loss, wasn’t going to let in prevent her from doing what she’s always wanted, KSAT reported.

“Going into the house fires and things like that, you’re hearing crucial because sometimes you cannot see. So you have to rely on your hearing,” Garner explained adding that she got a Cochlear implant that connects to the bone outside the ear. 

“It is just like beauty, you know? You put it on, and it’s like life,” Garner said adding that she can hear 100 percent thanks to the device. 

“Being the smallest and only female, they underestimated me,” she said speaking about her academy days. 

She put in hours of extra training each day and ended up winning the prestigious Top Rung award for being top of her class.

“There’s a purpose for everyone. So I just wanted to keep going and know that you can’t break me,” she said.

Garner wears a European helmet that offers more room for her Cochlear implant.

“You’re automatically looked at differently, and people judge you right off the bat. So you have to have that backbone. Put your foot down, speak up, stand up for yourself.”

She’s ready for the next step — obtaining her advanced EMT certificate her Class B license so she can start driving the fire engines.

After that, she wants to get a master’s degree, make fire captain, and someday, become fire chief.

Feb. 13, 2023 Los Angeles firefighters said the fire started in a vacant house and spread to buildings on both sides.

By Firehouse.com News

Fire spread from a house to two buildings early Monday, in Westlake.

Los Angeles firefighters found heavy fire in a two-story building about 1:17 a.m., KCAL reported.

More than 150 firefighters battled the fire that affected 56 apartments. 

One resident was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation while no firefighters were injured.

The cause is under investigation. 

Feb. 13, 2023 Elizabeth Township firefighters found heavy fire showing from the building and called for assistance.

By Adam Smeltz Source Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Feb. 12—Classes at Elizabeth Forward High School are suspended after a four-alarm fire Sunday ravaged the school auditorium and sent smoke throughout the building.

No one was reported hurt.

More than a dozen fire companies responded after a passer-by reported heavy smoke appearing from the auditorium area of the school about 5:30 a.m., Elizabeth Township police Chief Kenneth Honick said. First responders arrived to flames shooting from the auditorium.

“The entire high school had smoke exposure,” Chief Honick said late Sunday morning. While authorities had yet to evaluate the full extent of damage, the interior is “definitely not an environment they’re ready to send any children into for the foreseeable future.”

Firefighters had extinguished the blaze as of 11 a.m. but kept pouring water to make sure “there’s no unseen fire in the walls or the roof area,” Chief Honick said.

At that point, worries about structural damage and a collapse risk in the auditorium area led responders to handle any additional dousing from the outside — a safety precaution, the chief said.

Around noon, an exterior wall there appeared to have buckled and cracked. The fire looks to have started in the auditorium, with significant damage stretching to spaces used for musical instruction, Chief Honick said. Workers were using exhaust fans to pull residual smoke from the structure.

The cause of the fire did not immediately appear to be suspicious, and the Allegheny County fire marshal’s office and federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are investigating its origins, Chief Honick said. 

No one was in the building when firefighters arrived, he said.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether the school has a sprinkler system or when the fire started. Detailed damage assessments can begin once municipal and county authorities turn over the scene for restoration, Chief Honick said.

Constructed in the early 1950s, the multi-level, yellow-brick school faces Weigles Hill Road in a residential part of the township. In a letter to parents, district administrators said there will be no in-person or virtual school Monday for the high school students. About 750 were enrolled as of the 2021-22 year.

“We are coordinating with the high school administrative team to assess the faculty and students’ technology needs,” wrote Keith M. Konyk and Mary Carole Perry, the superintendent and assistant to the superintendent, respectively. “The plan is to begin virtual learning on Tuesday … until further notice. We will better understand long-term plans within the next few days.”

The building itself will be closed until further notice, they wrote, adding that arrangements are in the works for previously scheduled events and other activities. “We know our students will be heartbroken over this situation, and we are working on providing virtual access to our school counselors to offer support.

“We are just asking for patience as we navigate this unexpected tragedy,” the administrators wrote.

Watching the spectacle about midday, alumnus Jim Donnelly, 44, said his daughter, Elizabeth Forward sophomore Jiada Donnelly, was in Florida for a cheerleading competition when she got the news. Cheerleaders “were all texting and calling trying to figure this out,” he said.

“She’s a little bit upset and sad about it,” Mr. Donnelly said. “I know the seniors on the [cheerleading] team — it’s emotional for them” as they approach graduation.

He said “everyone pretty much knows everyone” in the tight-knit school community. He expects residents will rally to help the school, he said.

The school band had just been preparing for a Disney field trip, said Dan Poirier, the township board president. He saw some fire damage up close and described the auditorium as ruined, with a couple inches of water on the floor.

Black soot reached most of the school, he said. He saw a lot of water, too, in areas used for music education.

“It’s devastating,” Mr. Poirier said. “The biggest thing is that no one got hurt. Thank God it was on a Sunday morning, when no one was in there. Imagine if it had been a weekday.”

He praised collaboration among first responders and on-scene support from the township departments. One resident donated more than 40 pizzas to feed the workers, Mr. Poirier said.

“We’ll be back stronger,” said Mr. Donnelly, the parent. “That’s just how we are.”

Adam Smeltz: [email protected], @asmeltz on Twitter

Feb. 10, 2023 “I wasn’t letting him go. We were getting him out. 100%. He was coming home,” Houston Senior Capt. Joseph Flores said.

Source Firehouse.com News

A Houston firefighter who fell through a burning roof at a house fire last weekend owes his life to his captain. 

Firefighter Donovan Apiag, 26, and others were preparing to leave the roof after ventilating when it gave way under him and he fell through, KHOU reported. 

Senior Captain Joseph Flores gets emotional when he recalls what happened. 

“To look down in that hole, It was just a sea of red. That’s all… it was just a sea of red and just super-hot.”

Flores and another firefighter reached in to grab their brother who had fallen through to the attic.

“I wasn’t letting him go. We were getting him out. 100%. He was coming home,” he said 

Apiag suffered second and third-degree burns including to his legs, lower back, feet, and hands. He was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Medical Center. 

He has a long road to recovery and has already had one surgery. 

“Occupational therapy, physical therapy, and then the mental side of it too. He’s tough. I am in utter amazement by him,” Flores said. 

The captain sustained a burned hand during the rescue.

“It’s called a brotherhood and sisterhood… it’s true. And the citizens of Houston just absolutely are our support when it comes to times like this. Community support has been amazing. Amazing,” he told the reporter.