Two dead in fire in Esto

Two people died in a structure fire off Beaver Dam Road Wednesday night in Esto. Holmes County Sheriff John Tate said the call came in at 8:15 Thursday morning from a neighbor who had driven past the property and saw that a home had completely burned the night before. Tate said two occupants in the block building had perished in the fire. The identities of the victims will not be released until they are confirmed by the Medical Examiner. The Florida State Fire Marshal was on scene Thursday to investigate the cause of the fire.
WMBB-TV ABC 13 Panama City

1 Person Hospitalized After Duplex Home Fire in Northwest Miami-Dade County

VIDEO: One person was taken to the hospital Thursday morning after a fire at a duplex home in northwest Miami-Dade. Miami Fire Rescue arrived at the home in the 1100 block of Northwest 40th Street, located in the Liberty City neighborhood, and quickly put out the flames that had broken out inside the home. MFR confirmed one adult man was taken to Ryder Trauma Center to be treated for burns to his torso and arms. He is listed in serious condition. A family of four people, including a baby, living in an adjacent unit were displaced due to the fire. The American Red Cross is assisting them. An investigation continues into the cause of the fire.
WTVJ-TV NBC 6 Miami

Worker dies after getting trapped within pipe in canal in Miami-Dade County

A construction worker has died after becoming trapped within a pipe in a canal on Thursday in Miami-Dade County, authorities confirmed. Danny Euceda said his uncle works as a diver for Downrite Construction. Battalion Chief Rogelio Vandamas, a spokesman for Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, said there were six divers searching for Euceda’s uncle after he failed to surface. “Our dive lights are pretty much ineffective due to the sediment in the water,” Vandamas said. It took about 40 minutes to find him. Euceda said his uncle was alive but unconscious when he was found near the intersection of Northwest 119th Street and 24th Avenue in Westview. The worker had been working in a culvert and when co-workers noticed he had not surfaced, they called 911, according to the Miami-Dade Police Department. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel used a helicopter to transport the victim to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he later died.
WPLG-TV ABC 10 Miami

55-foot yacht catches fire at Ruskin marina

A 55-foot-long yacht caught on fire Thursday morning at a marina in Ruskin, according to Hillsborough County Fire Rescue. Just after 9 a.m., firefighters responded to Little Harbor Marinas after someone called to report a fire on a boat moored to the end of the dock. First responders said when they arrived, they saw heavy smoke coming from a 55-foot yacht. Fire crews then began "attacking" the blaze after advancing handlines up the dock to the boat. Shortly after that, Fire Boat 29 arrived and helped "de-water" the boat to keep it from sinking. Crews searched the vessel but didn't find anyone on board. The owner of the boat was located, and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
WTSP-TV CBS 10 St. Petersburg

Residents displaced after fire rips through Orlando apartment building

Multiple apartment homes have been left unlivable after a fire broke out at the complex in Orlando Thursday morning. Officials said firefighters were headed to a separate emergency call when they saw smoke coming from the apartment building located on S. Semoran Boulevard near Lee Vista Boulevard. The crew stopped to investigate the smoke and saw that the 2-story building was on fire and diverted another unit to the original call, District Chief Aaron Rhodes of the Orlando Fire Department said. Pete Cruz lives in a nearby apartment and said he was napping when firefighters told him everyone needed to get out. "A big dude just comes in. I didn't near no explosion or nothing. He just came in and said is there anyone else in the house? I was like no, no. He was like get out, there's a fire in the building!"
WOFL-TV FOX 35 Orlando

Burning brush to prevent fires in Seminole County

The Econ River Wilderness Area closes Monday. Seminole County said it will be closed for about two weeks as crews work to prepare for prescribed burns. During an interview on Talk to Tom, Allegra Buyer, the Natural Resources Program Coordinator for Seminole County said there are two main reasons for prescribed burns. She said the first is to prevent catastrophic wildfires. “If all this burned right now, the flame heights would be very high and it would be very hard to control and it would be very hard for firefighters to come in and stop it,” Buyer said. But, once crews cut down some of the brush she said crews will be prepared even if lighting did strike. “We can bring in firetrucks very easily and put up enough water on the fire to control it quickly,” Buyer said. The other reason is habitats have adapted to it.
WKMG-TV CBS 6 Orlando

Bradford County Fire Rescue crews contain fire

VIDEOS: Firefighters responded to a fire that broke out in a Bradford County neighborhood on Wednesday afternoon. Bradford County Fire Rescue crews were dispatched to a home next to a barn on Florida Avenue near South Division Avenue and Pine Street at 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday. Bradford County Fire Department said that the fire initially broke out in the barn, then spread to the nearby house. Officials are still investigating what caused the fire. Crews worked for approximately two hours to contain the blaze, asking passersby to avoid the area if possible. The fire is currently under control. No one was home at the time of the incident, and no injuries were reported. All units have been released at this time. There will be smoke in the area during the morning hours on Thursday.
WCJB-TV ABC/CW+ 20 Gainesville

Miami cancer center’s digital reporting tool aims to protect fire investigators and boost public safety

After a fire, investigators charged with determining the cause of the blaze sometimes stumble on unstable surfaces, breathe in toxins, or face other health and safety risks. But they had no central place to document their exposure to hazards at work, and researchers had no central place to evaluate that data to try to mitigate those risks — until now. This week, researchers with Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center are launching an online tool that allows fire investigators to voluntarily document accidents and near misses — part of an effort to improve conditions for the first responders who are vital to public safety. The outreach comes from the Firefighter Cancer Initiative, housed at Sylvester at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, the only National Cancer Institute-designated center in South Florida.
South Florida Hospital News

East Lake Fire Rescue hosts balancing program to help prevent seniors from falling

Falling can be a threat to older adults and seniors, and sometimes affect their ability to live independently. A free program hosted by East Lake Fire Rescue in Pinellas County aims to help seniors keep their balance. Woody and Jane Webster went to the East Lake Fire Rescue Station for the free program, which is called A Matter of Balance. Jane said they do things like leg lifts to strengthen their legs. "My husband needed the course, because he has balance issues. But after I got here, I realized I needed it too," said Jane. Terri Toner, who is with the Area Agency on Aging, said the program is designed for adults ages 60 and up to prevent falls. Claudia Hernandez with East Lake Fire Rescue said preventing falls is one of their biggest goals because these incidents are the number one reason that their firefighters are called to respond.
WTVT-TV FOX 13 Tampa

Follow-up: Young Mother Dies Days After West Perrine House Fire Killed Her Baby, Grandmother

A young mother has died just days after a house fire in Miami-Dade claimed the lives of her 4-month-old baby and her grandmother. Rukiyah Kendrick, 19, died from injuries suffered in the weekend fire, Miami-Dade Police officials said Wednesday. Family members said they went to Jackson South Hospital Tuesday as the end appeared imminent. “We all had the opportunity to see her and we saw the severity of the burns and so it was devastating, devastating and we kind of prepared ourselves," aunt Charlene Brooks said. Kendrick's 4-month-old son, Legend Larose, and her 70-year-old grandmother were also killed in the fire, family members said. Officials said it was just before 3:30 a.m. Saturday when Miami-Dade Fire Rescue received reports of a first-alarm fire at a home in the 101500 block of West Circle Plaza in West Perrine.
WTVJ-TV NBC 6 Miami

Clay County Fire Rescue urges everyone to save lives by learning CPR

In November 2019, a local father sustained cardiac arrest at his daughter’s soccer game at the Clay County Soccer Complex. It was the last thing Chad Eason, 39, expected to happen. Luckily, help was nearby. Thanks to the quick-thinking nurse and off-duty firefighter in the crowd watching their child play, they kept Eason’s blood pumping until paramedics arrived on the scene. Clay County Fire Rescue Training Captain Billy Futch remembers the day vividly. The initiative of the two bystanders and the fast-acting fire rescue department saved this man’s life. “He was there to watch his daughter play soccer, and he’s still alive to watch his kids grow up and be a part of their life. It’s an amazing, easy thing to do,” Futch said. Futch is now a training safety officer for Clay County Fire Rescue. He’s also trained Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Clay County Emergency Management officials, as well as many first responders from across Northeast Florida.
Clay Today - Metered Site

Car goes up in flames on Florida turnpike in Orange County

VIDEO/PHOTOS: A car was engulfed in flames on the Florida turnpike Wednesday afternoon, causing all southbound lanes to close, fire officials said. According to fire officials, the fire happened on the southbound turnpike in Orange County near mile marker 270. The fire backed traffic up to before mile marker 275. Firefighters were able to put the fire out by 4:53 p.m. It is unknown if anyone was injured in the fire.
WOFL-TV FOX 35 Orlando