Fire ravages Madison County home

VIDEO: It took firefighters more than five hours to extinguish a fire at a Hazel Green home. Crews worked since noon to get it under control. The fie was in the 200 block of Cherry Drive. Multiple departments responded. Hazel Green Fire Chief Steve Watson said the roof collapsed while crews fought to put the fire out, making the battle even more difficult. Watson says the hardest thing about this fire was the intensity of the flames and heat of the fire, along with the lack of manpower. No one was inside at the time. And no one was injured. Crews are still unsure exactly how the fire got started. There will be a full investigation.
WAFF-TV NBC 48 Huntsville

Chelsea firefighters recognized for promotions at council meeting

Two members of the Chelsea Fire Department were recognized for their promotions at Tuesday night’s Chelsea City Council meeting. Chief Wayne Shirley said one of the things he enjoys most about his role as fire chief is hiring young firefighters in service and being able to promote those who earn it. Tommy King, who had been serving as Fire Marshal, has been promoted to Captain and will be over the new Station 33, which is scheduled to open in November. Billy Ricketts, who has been with the department for three years and was recently named Chelsea Firefighter of the Year, has been promoted to Lieutenant at Station 31. King and Ricketts’ families were in attendance and their wives placed their pins on their husbands.
280 Living

2 displaced after fire on Woodview Drive in Huntsville

VIDEO: Two people are without a home after a house fire on Woodview Drive early Thursday morning in Huntsville. Huntsville fire officials are investigating the cause of that overnight fire. Firefighters told us they got the call around 1 o’clock on Thursday morning. The two people inside the home at the time of the fire were able to escape uninjured. They are being helped by the Red Cross.
WAFF-TV NBC 48 Huntsville

Southside first responders learn to communicate better with those with autism

People on the autism spectrum do not respond to their surroundings in the same way “neuro-typical” people do, Valerie Wheat, assistant director of Autism Studies at Jacksonville State University, told Southside first responders during a training session Monday. “Some of their responses may seem very strange,” Wheat said. That can be frustrating in many settings. In an encounter with law enforcement, it could be far more serious. Wheat talked to first responders about some of the behaviors they might see in people with autism spectrum disorder and ways to better deal with them. Such training is needed: Studies indicate individuals with autism are seven times more likely to come in contact with law enforcement. Wheat said autism is a social and communication disorder that can cause those who have it to sometimes display “mindblindness” to others.
Gadsden Times

Arson could be reason for a string of fires in Slocomb

The state of Alabama is still under a burn ban by the Alabama Forestry Commission, but there have been a string of fires along County Road 91 in Slocomb over the past week. The Geneva County Sheriff's Office and Alabama Forestry Commission are still investigating, but Slocomb Fire Operations Chief Kyle Hovey suspects arson. Slocomb Fire-Rescue responded to eight separate fires on County Road 91 on Thursday. Hovey said at one point they had more fires than they did people in firetrucks. Residents and farmers were assisting the fire department by using personal hoses and water tenders attached to tractors. The fires spread quickly because of the extreme drought level we are facing.
WTVY-TV CBS 4 Dothan

Second Prattville arson suspect arrested

A Prattville man was arrested more than a week after his wife and charged in connection to the same mid-September arson case, according to the Prattville Police Department and Central Alabama CrimeStoppers. Christopher Paul, 27, was taken into custody on Thursday after a CrimeStoppers tip was submitted.He’s charged with arson and insurance fraud. His wife, Moyo Burrow Paul was arrested on Oct. 2 and charged with arson. She may also face a charge for insurance fraud, authorities said. First responders were called to the blaze at a home in the 200 block of Gardenia Court around 3 a.m. that Monday, and it was determined the fire was intentionally set. Because a CrimeStoppers tip led to Paul’s arrest, CrimeStoppers will offer them a cash reward.
WSFA-TV NBC 12 Montgomery

Welcomed rains not enough to pull Alabama from drought, wildfire danger

While much-needed rain is moving across Alabama for the first time in a while, it won’t be enough to lift the state out of a drought, officials are cautioning. “Even though we are getting precipitation, we will dry out again; probably until December,” said Assistant Forest Fire Management Officer Drew Page of the USDA National Forests in Alabama. More rain is expected in the next week, but while it’s being welcomed, the USDA says there are still concerns lightning strikes from thunderstorms could pose a significant danger to bone dry areas of the state. The AFC is maintaining a statewide fire alert that was extended to an undetermined date on Friday. Under a fire alert, permits for outdoor burning are restricted. Anyone caught burning a field, grassland, or woodland without a burn permit may be prosecuted.
WSFA-TV NBC 12 Montgomery