VIDEO: Fire engulfs building’s cupola in Maryland

The cupola of a four-story building was fully involved in fire Thursday afternoon. SkyTeam 11 reported around 1 p.m. that firefighters were setting up a perimeter around the historic building at South Broadway and Eastern Avenue in the Fells Point area. City fire officials said firefighters were called around 12:45 p.m. to find the mixed-use building that contains a business on the first floor and apartments on the upper floors. Officials said firefighters had to use ladder trucks and deck guns to douse the flames. It took about 45 minutes to bring the fire under control. There was an initial concern about the structural integrity of the cupola due to extent of the fire, so firefighters cordoned off the surrounding area in case it collapsed, but it did not. Fire officials said no one was injured. There was no immediate word on a cause of the fire.
WBAL-TV NBC 11 Baltimore

Florida fire department puts donated money toward cancer-related initiatives

VIDEO: The Seminole County Fire Department is announcing the donated purchase of 150 heavy-duty containers to support cancer-preventative initiatives for firefighters. In January, the Meet Expectations Girls Gymnastics Competition fundraised nearly $10,000 for the fire departments in Seminole and Orange Counties. The Seminole County Firefighters Benevolent Fund used its $5,000 donation to purchase plastic sealable containers where “floating” firefighters can store their gear when they go to various stations. “Floater” firefighters and lieutenants do not have a permanent station and bring their gear to various stations. “They have to transport their gear home and this is just one level of protection to keep them safe and keep their families safe,” Lt. Jazz Zombo said.
WKMG-TV CBS 6 Orlando

Former Ohio firefighter shares personal story of survival and resilience in new book

VIDEO: A former Dayton firefighter is sharing his life experiences in his new book which came out May 1. “Overcoming Tuesday” tells the personal story of former firefighter Jim Burneka with co-author Hilary Hawkins. The book title was inspired by an interview with 2 NEWS anchor Brooke Moore about first responders’ mental health. “The normal citizen sees one or two traumatic calls in their lifetime. And for us, that’s just another day — a Tuesday,” said Burneka. The book has an entire chapter focused on the aftermath of the Oregon District shooting in 2019. Burneka details how the event changed his approach to helping first responders cope. As the wellness coordinator for the Dayton Fire Department, it was Burneka’s responsibility to provide resources for first responders following the tragic event.
WDTN-TV NBC 2 Dayton

Sharing a storied drink: Colorado whiskey uses Aspen trees burned in East Troublesome Fire

VIDEO: Tucked away in the mountains of Grand County is C Lazy U Ranch, a guest ranch that's been around since 1919. The land is stunning in a quintessential Colorado fashion — with a burn scar still visible throughout the property. The burn scar is from the 2020 East Troublesome Fire. The Director of Ranch Operations, Mike Cullen, remembers that fire vividly. “In that moment, it was scary. But we had a lot of work to do, and we were making sure we were protecting the ranch," Cullen said. “We had a great heads up from our local fire department and from the emergency services, so we were able to get out of here in time. And they gave us a good heads up so we could move our livestock, our horses, our entire team.” Jeremy Belnap, the general manager of the ranch, said after surviving a wildfire there are many aspects of life taken into consideration that were not noticed before the destruction. For Belnap, one of those is the resilience of Aspen groves.
KMGH-TV ABC 7 Denver

VIDEO: Large tractor-trailer fire closes portion of I-95 in Connecticut

PHOTOS: A major truck fire on I-95 south between exits 15 and 14 in Norwalk has shut down the interstate. State police say it happened around 5:30 a.m. The large fire involved a petroleum tractor-trailer, a tanker and a car. The tanker truck was carrying 8,500 gallons of petroleum, fire officials say. There were no fatalities in the incident, officials say. Gov. Ned Lamont said this morning that the highway is anticipated to be closed for a significant period in the area. Lamont recommended staying away from the area due to traffic jams. There is no word yet on when the road will reopen. Fire officials said the flames were put out within an hour, with extensive damage caused to the Fairfield Avenue overpass bridge. They also said a firefighter sustained a leg injury and was taken to Norwalk Hospital.
News 12 Connecticut

Alabama governor signs proclamation recognizing Dothan as the state’s first HeartSafe City

Governor Ivey signed a proclamation recognizing Dothan’s HeartSafe initiative, Tuesday. Leaders from the Southeast Health Medical Center and Dothan Fire Department visited the state capitol for Governor Ivey to recognize Dothan as the state’s first HeartSafe city. The HeartSafe program has trained over 7,000 people for CPR. Over 70 businesses are also receiving training. The Southeast Health Foundation and the Fire Department are hopeful this will inspire other cities in the state. ”This project, this initiative, has taken us 6 years since its inception. It is really nice to be recognized for the efforts,” Amy Bunting with the Southeast Health Foundation said. ”There are over 350,000 sudden cardiac deaths a year. By having trained people in our community, having someone that can start hands-only CPR or CPR on a patient that needs it, increases the survivability of our community which makes us safer and whole, and a better community all together,” Dothan Fire Chief Chris Etheredge said.
WTVY-TV CBS 4 Dothan

Washington: Feds called in to help investigate cause of largest building fire in Tri-Cities history

PHOTOS: What may be the largest structure fire in Tri-Cities history is continuing to burn 10 days after it started, sending toxic smoke from burning plastic and other materials drifting over nearby homes. Fire officials still don’t know what sparked the destructive blaze at Lineage Logistics’ Kennewick cold storage warehouse, but Benton Fire District 1 has asked for help from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The fire district has no reason to suspect the cause of the fire was suspicious, but needs the additional resources of the federal agency to determine the cause, Jenna Kochenauer, the Benton County Fire District 1 public information officer, told the Herald on Wednesday. The mostly volunteer rural fire department has limited staff, and the federal agency has better equipment to get into the partially collapsed building that covers nearly 12 acres.
AOL.com

Captain faces 10 years in prison for fiery deaths of 34 people aboard California scuba dive boat

A scuba dive boat captain was scheduled to be sentenced by a federal judge Thursday on a conviction of criminal negligence after 34 people died in a fire aboard the vessel nearly five years ago. The Sept. 2, 2019, blaze was the deadliest maritime disaster in recent U.S. history, and prompted changes to maritime regulations, congressional reform and several ongoing lawsuits. Captain Jerry Boylan was found guilty of one count of misconduct or neglect of ship officer last year. The charge is a pre-Civil War statute colloquially known as seaman’s manslaughter that was designed to hold steamboat captains and crew responsible for maritime disasters. Boylan’s appeal is ongoing. He faces up to 10 years behind bars.
NBC News