VIDEO: Large fire in California burns vacant commercial building near transit station, officials say

Fire crews are still on scene in Concord blocking off roads, several hours after a large fire gutted a commercial building. The fire broke out near the BART station on East Street and Sunset Avenue. That is right across the street from the BART station and in a stretch of commercial buildings. Overnight, the front part of the building collapsed in flames. "There was a couple of structural members that did collapse during the fire and that's primarily due to the amount of heat that comes during the fire, which caused a couple walls to fall," Victor Daniel, a spokesperson for the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District said. Daniel says luckily, firefighters had already taken a defensive approach to fight this fire from the outside, not long after the call first came in around 10:30 p.m. on Monday night.
KGO-TV ABC 7 San Francisco

Firefighter poses for photo in front of every fire department in Minnesota – all 775

PHOTOS: Firefighters are used to getting to their destinations in a hurry. Hubie Widmer took 10 years to complete his quest. “I said, ‘You know, I want to get my picture taken in front of every fire department in the state,’” Hubie said. In March, the Watertown firefighter completed his task. Over a decade, Hubie visited 775 fire departments – as best as he can tell relying on state records – every fire department in Minnesota. “We kind of didn't think it was ever going to get done,” Denice Widmer, Hubie’s wife, said with a laugh. Denice traveled with Hubie on most of his trips, crossing off towns on a 20-page list and photographing her husband in front of the fire stations they visited. The pictures Denice took of her husband fill 14 photo albums. “We’ve basically been to every town in the state of Minnesota.” Hubie says.
KARE-TV NBC 11 Minneapolis

Fire department in Wisconsin rolls out new mental health resource program for firefighters

Monday, The Milwaukee Fire Department announced they are partnering with Ignite the Spirit to provide essential mental health resources for firefighters through fully funded therapy sessions facilitated by licensed mental health professionals. The program is launching under the All-Hands Initiative, and Fire Lieutenant Joseph Flick founded Ignite the Spirit in 2018. He told WTMJ the importance of mental health for firefighters. “The culmination of everything that we go through and the traumas that we see… sometimes the human brain has a hard time dealing with that.” he said. “We want to make sure that that’s not what’s going to keep our people from being our best selves.” “Sometimes it’s injury and illness… Other times, untimely death, and [during] this time, we’ve been looking for ways we can proactively support their mental and behavioral health,” he said.
WTMJ-TV NBC 4 Milwaukee

VIDEO: Large fire destroys Massachusetts apartment building; over 80 residents displaced

A massive fire broke out at an apartment complex in Randolph, Massachusetts, on Sunday night, prompting large-scale evacuations and warnings from police and town officials about smoke in the area, as well as low water pressure. The Randolph Fire Department was called to the multi-family residential blaze at 60 Bridle Path Circle just after 6 p.m., and the fire was still active late Sunday night. The acting fire chief told NBC10 Boston that there were multiple collapses, including the roof and walls. According to the fire chief, one person was injured after he jumped from a second floor balcony to the ground. He was taken to the hospital with minor burns. There were no sprinklers inside, the fire chief said, and the building is a total loss, leaving more than 80 people without a home.
WBTS-TV NBC 10 Nashua

National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend returns to Maryland in May

The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) will host the 43rd National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend (Memorial Weekend) on May 4-5, 2024 in Emmitsburg, Maryland. This year’s national tribute will honor 89 firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2023 and 137 firefighters who died in previous years. Detailed information about each of the 226 firefighters being memorialized can be found on the 2024 Roll of Honor. “National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend is a time for our nation to pause and reflect on the heroic efforts and selfless service of the fallen firefighters we are paying tribute to this year,” said NFFF CEO Victor Stagnaro. “We will always remember the bravery, commitment, and sacrifices of each of these 226 heroes—and their families.”
Tri-State Alert

Tornadoes leave a trail of destruction in Oklahoma, communities begin to assess damage

VIDEO: Multiple tornadoes tore across Oklahoma on Saturday night, leaving a wide trail of destruction, leveling homes and buildings and knocking out power for tens of thousands of residents and businesses. At least four people were killed in the state, including a child. The region remained on high alert for severe weather after thunderstorms and tornados rolled through Friday and Saturday from Texas to the Great Lakes. About 106 tornadoes were detected in six states on Friday, with Nebraska and Iowa the hardest hit, officials said. Officials in Pottawattamie County, in southwest Iowa by the Nebraska border, said one resident was killed and three others hurt by severe weather that hit Friday. In Oklahoma, a tornado ripped through Holdenville, a small town of about 5,000 people, around 11 p.m. Saturday night, destroying or damaging several buildings in its path.
CBS News

‘Protect our brave firefighters’: University of Texas students create firefighting robot

VIDEO: University of Texas students created a robot that can help protect firefighters. Their startup is called Paradigm Robotics. The technology is meant to assist with search and rescues in structure fires or other dangerous situations. Recently, the Austin Fire Department reported two firefighters were injured after searching for a person inside a house fire. The invention is called FireBot. Founder Siddharth Thakur said fire departments around the country are testing the robot. World’s first high temperature resistant, un-manned,” Thakur said. “So think remotely controlled search and rescue robot, designed to enter structural fires or other hazardous situations and provide life-saving, mission-critical situational awareness.”
KXAN-TV NBC 36 Austin