Jan. 22, 2023 Prince George’s County firefighters found a well-advanced fire in the Temple Hills house.
Source firehouse.com News
Fire ripped through a house in Temple Hills killing two people and leaving three firefighters injured.
Category: In The News
-
Tesla Fire Creates Challenges for MA Firefighters
Jan. 22, 2023 Wakefield Provisional Fire Chief Tom Purcell reported more than 20,000 gallons of water were used during the incident.
By Jackson Cote Source masslive.com (TNS) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A fire that erupted inside a Tesla on Interstate 95 in Massachusetts late Thursday took nearly three hours and tens of thousands of gallons of water to put out, according to authorities.
Massachusetts State Police and Wakefield firefighters responded shortly after 10:45 p.m. Thursday to the single-car crash in the northbound lanes of the highway near Exit 59 and found the Tesla wedged into the guardrail in the right breakdown lane, according to a statement from the Wakefield Fire Department.
The 38-year-old driver of the Tesla declined medical attention at the scene of the crash, according to the department.
As the car was being prepared to be removed from the crash scene, the guardrail punctured the undercarriage, causing the lithium-ion batteries in the Tesla to increase in temperature and eventually erupt in flames, the statement said.
Firefighters from Lynnfield, Melrose, Reading and Stoneham were called to help extinguish the fire. Amid stormy weather conditions, crews used “copious amounts of water” to put out the flames, the department noted. A Middleton water tanker assisted as well.
The fire was declared under control and fully extinguished after roughly 2.5 hours. More than 20,000 gallons of water were used, according to the department.
“The crews did a great job, especially in the middle of storm conditions – on a busy highway,” Wakefield Provisional Fire Chief Tom Purcell said in the department’s statement. “All responding mutual aid companies from the surrounding communities that assisted were fantastic and greatly helped the Wakefield Fire Department in controlling the incident.”
A state Department of Fire Services hazmat team responded to the scene, and the Tesla was removed from the scene. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection was also notified, according to the statement.
“As sales of electric and hybrid vehicles increase, the fire service is continuing to modify our tactics to properly respond, protect property and firefighters as well as control these types of fires,” Purcell said.
“Fighting vehicle fires is inherently dangerous. When responding to an electric or hybrid vehicle fire there are additional challenges responding crews must consider,” he added. “Fire companies on the scene of an electrical vehicle fire should expect longer time frames to manage and control EV vehicle fires, ensure that large, continuous, sustainable water supply is established, as well as maintain heightened situational awareness and prepare for secondary fires.”
State Police redirected traffic while the fire was being extinguished, and drivers were diverted to one lane during the ongoing snow storm, the department detailed.
-
Watch: MI Crews Rescue Man Seconds Before Train Hits Vehicle
Jan. 20, 2023 Portage firefighters were assessing the patient when they heard the train’s whistle.
Source Firehouse.com News
Portage firefighters were assessing a driver in a crashed vehicle stranded on railroad tracks when they heard the whistle of an approaching train.
As the crossing lights flashed, they quickly pulled the driver out of the Jeep just seconds before it was hit, Portage Public Safety officials wrote on its Facebook page.
The driver of the Jeep was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The other driver was not hurt.
The crash remains under investigation.
-
KY House Fire Claims Woman, Two Children
Jan. 20, 2023 Lebanon Junction Chief Adam Heath said: “…It’s devastating, you know for us as first responders, as well as the community. It takes a toll on us and them.”
Source Firehouse.com News
A small town in Kentucky is mourning the loss of a woman and two children who perished in a house fire Thursday.
Eryan Toogood, 27, her daughter, Haisley Heath, 6, and another 6-year-old girl were killed in the fire in Lebanon Junction, according to WLKY.
Authorities have not released the name of one victim as of Friday.
Fire Chief Adam Heath told reporters: “It is a tight-knit community, but it’s devastating, you know for us as first responders, as well as the community, it takes a toll on us and them.”
In a town of around 1700 people, Mayor Larry Dangerfield says it’s not hard to know a face.
“Fortunately enough the town is small enough that you know just about everybody, unfortunately, it hurts everybody,” Dangerfield said.
-
Siarnicki to Step Down as NFFF Executive Director
Jan. 19, 2023 Ron Siarnicki said it’s been an honor to help the families of the nation’s fallen firefighters for the past 22 years.
By Susan Nicol Source firehouse.com News
Ron Siarnicki, center, received the FDSOA Chairman’s Award at the 2023 Annual Health and Safety Conference from Rich Marinucci, left, FDSOA executive director and Eric Valliere, Chair of the FDSOA Board of Directors. “I’ve reached the point where I’m ready to make a change.”
And, that’s just what Ron Siarnicki will do in December when he steps aside as the executive director of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.
“The foundation is solid. I’m proud of the growth,” he said. “It’s been a great journey. I’ve decided the time is right.”
The former Prince George’s County, MD fire chief took the reins of the NFFF in 2001, just months before the Sept. 11 attacks.
Siarnicki headed for New York City where he spent months assisting firefighters and their families. It was an experience he’ll never forget.
He took those valuable lessons learned and used them as he guided the foundation.
The annual National Fallen Firefighter Memorial Service has expanded over the years to include activities for children as well as support sessions specific to people associated with the firefighter, such as spouses, children, fellow firefighters, chiefs and parents.
Siarnicki called the dedication and work of the NFFF staff, survivors and fire service volunteers phenomenal. He’s especially proud of the team effort.
During his tenure, the foundation created the Hal Bruno Camp for children of fallen firefighters as well as a scholarship program.
As the numbers of firefighters who died in the line of duty increased, he was determined to do something. He was not going to sit idly by.
“Preventing the line-of-duty deaths is very important to me,” Siarnicki said.
He spearheaded a session in Tampa where fire service officials from around the country gathered to not only discuss the issue but come up with possible solutions.
During that conference, the 16 Life Safety Initiatives were created as a roadmap for firefighters to reduce the number of fatalities.
Classes promoting the safe practices are taught in fire stations across the nation.
Siarnicki knows the impact a firefighter death can have on a department. That’s why he established a local assistance state team (LAST) comprised of people from each state.
In addition to offering to help plan the funeral, LAST members assist the families in filing the necessary paperwork for benefits.
Siarnicki said it’s been an honor to help the survivors and is confident that the programs he initiated will continue and thrive.
“I loved the interactions and relationships I’ve formed through the years. I’ve met some incredible people along the way,” he said.
He noted that it was important for him to represent the foundation at various conferences and functions.
While he won’t be dashing through airports and keeping suitcases with climate-appropriate clothes at the ready on a regular basis, he won’t be grounded either.
“I’m still going to be involved,” he said, adding that he’s agreed to stay on as a consultant for two years.
As the pace slows down, Siarnicki’s looking forward to spending time on the bay, at the farm, working on his fire trucks and other projects that have been waiting.
“I’m ready….”
-
Multiple Vehicles Destroyed by Fire, Explosion in TX Lot
Jan. 20, 2023 The explosion is believed to have resulted from compressed natural gas tanks inside the vehicles, Dallas Fire-Rescue said.
By Hojun Choi Source The Dallas Morning News (TNS) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Multiple vehicle fires and explosions were reported Thursday afternoon at a “commercial facility” in northwest Dallas, fire officials said.
Around 3:30 p.m., Dallas Fire-Rescue crews responded to multiple 911 calls related to a vehicle fire at a property at the intersection of Manana Drive and North Walton Walker Boulevard, officials said. Multiple people reported that they had seen what looked like a 18-wheeler on fire, and also said the vehicle was in a lot with multiple other buses and semi-trucks.
No one was injured in the fire, Dallas Fire-Rescue said.
Emergency crews also got reports of an explosion in the area, Dallas Fire-Rescue said in a news release.
The blaze had spread to other vehicles in the lot when firefighters arrived at the location, according to Dallas Fire-Rescue.
The explosion is believed to have resulted from Compressed Natural Gas tanks inside the vehicles, Dallas Fire-Rescue said.
Fire crews were still at the scene extinguishing “hot spots” and monitoring the area as of Thursday evening.
“To ensure that enough equipment and personnel were available to mitigate the situation, a one-alarm fire response was immediately dispatched to the location,” said Jason Evans, a Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman. “While some teams focused their suppression efforts directly on the vehicles involved, others were tasked with spraying water onto the nearby vehicles to keep their CNG tanks cool and protected from exposure.”
The cause of the fire is still being investigated, and no information was available related to how many vehicles were burned.
-
Officials to Pay $1.3M to Families of Victims Killed in MO Fire Truck Wreck
Jan. 20, 2023 Three people were killed in the 2021 collision involving a Kansas City fire engine.
By Andrea Klick Source The Kansas City Star (TNS) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Three people were killed in the Dec. 15, 2021 crash. Kansas City will pay more than $1.3 million to family members of victims killed when a fire truck crashed into a vehicle and a building in Westport in December 2021, according to court documents filed Wednesday.
According to the settlement, each family will receive $459,893 from the city plus an additional $80,000 from Farmers Insurance, the private auto insurance provider for Dominic Biscari, the Kansas City firefighter who drove the truck on Dec. 15, 2021.
The Kansas City Fire Department and the city declined to comment on the settlement and cited a pending investigation into the incident.
With lights and sirens flashing, the Pumper 15 driven by Biscari was speeding when it ran a red light and entered the intersection of Westport Road and Broadway Boulevard and struck a Honda CRV that night. The force of the crash propelled the vehicles northwest, causing them to hit a pedestrian before slamming into a building.
Jennifer San Nicolas and Michael Elwood, who were in the Honda, and Tami Knight, the pedestrian, were killed. Knight’s boyfriend Alexander Llera was also injured. San Nicolas and Elwood worked together at Ragazza Food & Wine, and Knight was a data analyst with Kansas City Public Schools.
After the crash, the victims’ families, Llera and the owners of the building filed lawsuits against the city and Biscari, which also alleged that he was driving negligently and too fast.
In November, Kansas City’s City Council approved the transfer of $1.8 million from its general fund to help pay for lawsuits.
Earlier that month, Judge Jennifer M. Phillips approved a $32 million arbitration award against Biscari. That included $9 million to Elwood’s parents, $11 million to Knight’s mother, $9 million to San Nicolas’ mother and $2 million to Llera. It also included $1.4 million to the company that owns the destroyed building.
Retired Judge Miles Sweeney, who oversaw arbitration proceedings in October, found Biscari’s driving to be “dangerous and reckless.” A medic had warned the department about Biscari’s driving months before the crash.
A lawsuit filed in November that lists as plaintiffs the victims’ families, Biscari, Llera, the building’s owner and the fire department union claimed the city owes $32.4 million to the families and building owners after withdrawing legal representation for Biscari.
He was originally provided legal representation by the city, but it was later withdrawn. The fire department’s union, International Association of Firefighters Local 42, could not find a previous case in which the city refused or withdrew legal representation for another fire department employee, the lawsuit said.
A case management conference is scheduled for Feb. 28.
-
New GA Training Center Features Elevator Shaft, Attic Simulator
Jan. 20, 2023 Macon-Bibb County firefighters helped Mayor Lester Miller rappell from the tower.
Source Firehouse.com News
All the late nights and endless meetings paid off in a big way this week when the Macon-Bibb Training Academy was dedicated.
Macon-Bibb County Lt. Garin Flanders is proud of the facility and was anxious to show it off, WMAZ reported.
“We are a Class 1 Fire Department and our facilities did not show that,” Mayor Lester Miller said. “Public safety will be our number one priority.”
With the help of firefighters, the mayor rappelled down the tallest side of the building.
The $3.2M facility was paid for with SPLOST money and the general fund..
Three burn rooms are rated up to 1,500 degrees for eight hours, Flanders explained.
There’s an attic simulator and an elevator shaft where crews will train for rescue scenarios.
“Our long-term plan is to make this a regional training facility to where the guys at the Georgia Public Training Center they can come down and train,” Flanders told reporters.
Outside agencies would only have to pay instructors and the fuel that’s used.
-
Additional Federal Funds will Help USDA Reduce Wildfire Risks
Jan. 20, 2023 The nation has more than 460 million acres at moderate to very high risk from wildfires, U.S. Forest Service officials say.
Source Firehouse.com News
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Thursday expanded efforts to reduce wildfire risk across the western United States.
These investments, made possible through the Biden Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), will directly protect at-risk communities and critical infrastructure across 11 additional landscapes in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington, he said.
In April 2022, USDA and the Forest Service announced the initial funding and identified the initial 10 landscape projects in support of the recently released strategy “Confronting the Wildfire Crisis: A Strategy for Protecting Communities and Improving Resilience in America’s Forests.”
Officials explained a priority treatment: “High-risk firesheds are large forested landscapes and rangelands where there is a high likelihood that an ignition could expose homes, communities, and infrastructure to destructive wildfire. Firesheds, typically about 250,000 acres in size, are mapped to match the scale of community exposure to wildfire.”
The statistics are alarming. “Wildfires have been growing in size, duration, and destructivity over the past 30 years. The Nation has more than 460 million acres at moderate to very high risk from wildfire. Many western landscapes are at grave and growing risk from wildfire due to a combination of accumulating fuels, a warming climate, and expanding development in fire-prone landscapes. At the Forest Service, we are taking decisive action to confront this crisis.”
Issues with climate-driven wildfires was one of the topics addressed last year at the U.S. Fire Administrator’s Summit on Fire Prevention and Control.
“…More fire departments are responding to an increasing number of wildland-urban interface fires,” Duck, NC Chief Donna Black told the panel in 2022.
Wildland-urban interface is where suburban and urban areas merge with the wildland, she explained.
The fires are not limited to western states. “Nor are these fires limited to a season…Colorado’s Marshall Fire burned 6.000 acres, destroyed more than 1,000 homes and businesses and caused over $500 million in December, well outside the traditional wildland fire season,” Black said.
She noted that firefighters across the country need additional training and equipment to meet the challenges.
-
Veteran Detroit Firefighter Charged with Dealing Drugs
Jan. 20, 2023 The unidentified firefighter, 49, is accused of selling hydrocodone, Vicodin and Adderall.
Source Firehouse.com News
A veteran Detroit firefighter is facing charges for selling drugs.
The unnamed firefighter is accused of selling are hydrocodone, Vicodin and Adderall in three different cities, according to Fox2.
The station did not report the firefighter’s name because he has not been arraigned. But, the 15-year veteran of DFD is a resident of Grosse Pointe Park and is said to be well-liked, reporters noted.
He is charged in Eastpointe and Roseville with delivery and manufacturing of a controlled substance less than 50 grams, which is a seven-year felony.
However, Warren police charged with delivery of a controlled substance more than 50 grams, and other felony drug charges.
Chief James Harris said they will not tolerate any criminal activity at all, but they will conduct their own internal investigation.