Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department honors fallen engineer who served 20 years

VIDEO: The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department honored a fallen 20-year veteran of the agency on Sunday. JFRD held a procession for Engineer Heath J. O'Shea, 44, in Jacksonville on Sunday morning. Emergency vehicles stopped on the side of the Fuller Warren Bridge as members saluted the vehicles in the procession for O'Shea. "Losing someone and saying goodbye isn't easy...but we will send you out with grace and dignity that you have earned and deserve," JFRD wrote on social media Sunday. O'Shea died after suffering from a medical emergency while on duty at Fire Station 54 Friday night, JFRD announced in a press release on Saturday. Despite life-saving efforts made by JFRD personnel and medical staff, O'Shea died at the hospital early Saturday morning.
WTLV-TV NBC 12 Jacksonville

2 grass fires in west Miami-Dade County burn over 250 acres

VIDEO: Two grass fires that erupted Sunday afternoon in west Miami-Dade County have burned through over 250 acres, as of Monday afternoon, the Florida Forest Service confirmed. “It’s a horrible thing that’s going on,” Sergio Rivas, who lives in the area, said. According to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials, crews responded to one fire in the area of Southwest 137th Avenue and Eighth Street around 2:14 p.m. Sunday. “We’ve lived here for 20 years and this is not new to us. Every time it happens, it’s very sad,” another resident, Michelle Izquierdo, said. According to MDFR, about 45 percent of the fire, which has burned 170 acres, been contained, thanks in part to the Tamiami Canal. “It just keeps getting more and more. It’s like wow,” Danielle Pavon told Local 10 on Sunday.
WPLG-TV ABC 10 Miami

Fire under control at Everglades Recycling junkyard in Opa-locka, crews say

VIDEO: A first-alarm fire that spread through a junkyard in Opa-locka is now under control, rescue crews said. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units arrived at the scene along the 3400 block of Northwest 135th Street, at Everglades Recycling, Friday afternoon. 7Skyforce hovered above the scene at 4 p.m. as black smoke billowed from a pile of rubble at the junkyard. Firefighters were also seen attempting to douse the flames with water. According to fire rescue officials, 15 units responded to the fire and used heavy machinery to locate the seed of the fire. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is not known.
WSVN-TV FOX 7 Miami

VIDEO: Volunteer firefighters battle massive flames on St. George Island for nearly ten hours

Through strong wind and rain, volunteer firefighters spent nearly 10 hours keeping a St. George Island neighborhood safe. Massive flames destroyed a three-story beach house sitting close to several other homes Wednesday night on the east end of the island. St. George Island Fire Department Captain Jason Timbert says figuring out what started the flames is something the state fire marshal is working out now. The good news is that no one was home, and no pets were inside. Captain Timbert says the strong wind Wednesday night made this a tough battle. They got the call around 11 p.m. and worked to extinguish the fire until 5:00 Thursday morning, then came back around 8:00 Thursday morning, putting out hot spots until noon.
WJHG-TV NBC 7 Panama City

2 people in critical condition after Winter Haven mobile home fire

PHOTOS: Two residents of a Winter Haven mobile home are in critical condition after their home caught fire on Thursday night, according to police. At around 7 p.m. on Thursday, Winter Haven firefighters responded to an initial call of a car fire on Wild Dunes Court. They arrived to find a car under a carport fully engulfed in flames spreading into the doublewide mobile home. As crews began battling the fire, they learned that two people were inside the home. Winter Haven Fire crews initiated a rescue and ultimately brought both occupants outside while more crews battled the flames. Both victims, who had been inside the living room area, were airlifted to a local hospital where they are listed in critical but stable condition. A firefighter was also taken to the hospital for dehydration, police said, but was released after being medically cleared.
WTVT-TV FOX 13 Tampa

SUV catches fire in northwest Miami-Dade County

PHOTO: Firefighters extinguished an SUV that was on fire in northwest Miami-Dade Wednesday night, authorities confirmed. According to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, it happened just after 9 p.m. near Northwest 12th Avenue and Northwest 115th Street, in the county’s Pinewood area. Upon their arrival, firefighters found an SUV that they say was engulfed in flames beside a gate on the street. Authorities said firefighters promptly deployed a hose line and also used a fire extinguisher to douse the flames. The vehicle was unoccupied when the fire broke out and there were no reported injuries, according to MDFR. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
WPLG-TV ABC 10 Miami

Fire breaks out at Clearwater home

VIDEO/PHOTO: Firefighters battled a blaze Thursday night at a home in Clearwater. Clearwater Fire & Rescue said it was called at 8:34 p.m. to a home on Sarah Drive. Crews arrived to find the garage engulfed in flames which had spread to a boat and car in the driveway. Several people inside the home were able to escape without getting injured but the house sustained major damage, the fire department wrote. A neighboring house also sustained some minor heat damage. The Red Cross will be working to assist the family. Investigators are still working to find out what caused the fire.
WTSP-TV CBS 10 St. Petersburg