The Brattleboro Fire Department is investigating a structure fire that claimed the lives of three animals. Two stations were dispatched just before 7 p.m. Thursday, for a fire at a home on Carriage Hill Road. The caller reported smoke coming from the vents in the roof. Crews confirmed all occupants of the home were accounted for, but there were four animals inside the home. Three dogs and one cat were found inside the home, according to officials. Emergency crews performed CPR on two dogs, but they couldn't be revived. The cat was deceased. The third dog survived. Investigators believe the fire started in the kitchen. It took first responders about 30 minutes to get it under control. The occupants of the home are staying with family and friends. Golden Cross Ambulance, Guilford Fire Dept., Keene Fire Dept., DPW, and Green Mountain Power assisted at the scene.  

Firefighters were called out Thursday afternoon to battle an inferno at the far end of the iconic Oceanside Pier. The fire was reported shortly after 3 p.m. and the firefight stretched overnight and into Friday. A massive plume of smoke quickly filled the sky, and two fire-fighting boats arrived on scene shooting water cannons at the structure at the end of the pier, where it broadens to support two structures and is called the hammerhead. A lone lifeguard vehicle was seen posted up at the foot of pier, with a long fire hose, possibly two, running the length of the pier. Although smoke obscured the scene, the building at the end of the pier was burning furiously. The structure was once the site of the Ruby's Diner, which has stood empty since the business closed three years ago.  

VIDEO: The town of Vernon is proudly billing itself as the first community in the country to adapt what is called the VRNA EMS System to assist first responders. The system, created by nearby East Hartford-based VRSim, uses virtual reality to better train firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, and police officers for an array of medical incidents. Matthew Wallace, the president and CEO of VRSim, said, "The goal is to give them a repetition and training tool that will both attract and entice people to the industry." Michael Purcaro, the Vernon town manager and emergency management director, added that the town is hoping "our first responders will be able to sharpen their skills in a safe controlled virtual environment so that when they are needed in the real world, they will be better prepared to respond."  

VIDEOS: It's been an interesting couple of days for a Holladay neighborhood. On Tuesday, resident Robert Eliasoff and many others were told to evacuate after old dynamite was found at a home near 6200 South and 2300 East. "An officer approached my door and told me I needed to evacuate and I asked him, 'How much time do I have?' and he said, 'Just get what you can and let's go'," Eliasoff recalled. Unified Fire Authority says an elderly woman whose husband had died came across the explosive materials. According to officials, the dynamite had been passed down from generation to generation before the current homeowner found it. "She knew it was dangerous, she didn't know the extent, but knew she needed help taking care of it," said Unified Fire Authority Assistant Chief Riley Pilgrim.  

Grand Junction Fire Department Captain James Kavanaugh has recently taken on a new and novel job for a firefighter: podcast host. "Going Interior," GJFD's new wellness podcast, aired its first episode April 1. Kavanaugh, who oversees GJFD's academy, said the department's communications staff has had the idea for a podcast for a while, they just didn't know the format. "I think it's been valuable, it's felt like going out on a limb for sure," Kavanaugh said. "This is an uncomfortable spot, but I'm hopeful pushing ourselves to this point and opening up and sharing these stories opens things up and creates a better connection with both the people we serve and the people within our workplace." The show was created during some downtime in between the department's academies.