VIDEO: Massive fire breaks out at former bank building in California

A massive fire erupted at a former bank building in Boyle Heights and authorities say a person of interest is being interviewed. The blaze was reported at around 1:30 p.m. at a vacant, single-story structure located at 1308 S. Soto St, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. AIR7 HD captured intense flames quickly burning through the roof of the building, sending a towering column of thick black smoke into the air. LAFD investigators said a fire in the attic quickly spread throughout the vacant building, which was mostly boarded up. Los Angeles firefighters worked for almost two hours to fully put out the blaze. One firefighter was reportedly being evaluated at the scene for minor injuries. Further details surrounding the person of interest weren't immediately released. No evacuation orders were issued, according to authorities.
KABC-TV ABC 7 Los Angeles

Editorial: Searching for the living, finding the dead; Hurricane Ian takes toll on rescuers, too

They go from door to door, hoping to find survivors and accounting for the dead, a grueling mission that continues even as bright and sunny skies make monstrous Hurricane Ian seem like something out of our deepest nightmares. “We end up in this paradise — but next to us is an apocalypse,” one Miami-Dade firefighter assigned to a rescue team told the Miami Herald’s David Goodhue. As Southwest Florida assesses the damage and figures out what the future may hold in a post-Ian world, rescue teams from around Florida and beyond go about their tasks, on foot and sometimes with dogs, knocking on the doors of wrecked homes and businesses, looking under piles of debris and checking inside the shells of buildings. They work methodically, block by block, but not without emotion, “Forget about our jobs,” the firefighter said. “We’re human.”
Miami Herald - Metered Site

North Carolina firefighters recovering from flash fire burns

Two High Point firefighters are quickly recovering after coming face-to-face with a fire that caused first and second-degree burns to several parts of their bodies. “I definitely feel like it was one of those situations that was kind of a freak accident and kind of the wrong place at the wrong time,” Josh Bryant said. Bryant has been a firefighter for the past ten years and has worked for the High Point department for six of them. He said in his years on the job, he has never been in a situation that caused extensive burns to his body. Last month, Bryant and several other crew members were working to clean out dust from a silo at the High Point Furniture Industries Warehouse.
WGHP-TV FOX 8 High Point

Wisconsin: ‘Decon’ buckets prevent cancer in firefighters

Chippewa Valley Technical College presented the Chippewa Falls Fire Station with a decontamination bucket to help prevent cancer in their first responders. Firefighters have an increased risk of cancer because of the various carcinogens they are exposed to on the job. Money was raised by CVTC to provide these buckets to local fire departments. The decontamination buckets contain items such as a fire hose adapter, soap, and a scrub brush so firefighters can start to decontaminate their gear on scene. CVTC Fire Training Manager, Mark Schwartz, says when he heard every fire station in Florida was provided with similar “decon” buckets he wanted to contribute in the same way locally.
WEAU-TV NBC 13 Eau Claire

Domino’s Pizza teams up with NFPA to highlight Fire Prevention Week

During Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 9-15, participating Domino's Pizza stores will highlight this year's safety campaign theme: "Fire won't wait. Plan your escape" with flyers on top of boxes. Domino's is planning the event in conjunction with the National Fire Protection Association, which is celebrating the 100th anniversary of Fire Prevention Week, according to a press release. Some Domino's order will also be delivered by fire engine. If the smoke alarms in the home are working, the pizza is free. If the alarms are not working, the firefighters will replace the batteries or install fully functioning alarms for free. "Every year, Domino's stores look forward to partnering with their local fire departments and the NFPA to spread fire safety messages to their customers in an exciting and unexpected way," Jenny Fouracre, Domino's spokeswoman, said in the release.
Pizza Marketplace

VIDEO: Texas warehouse fire destroys two businesses

Nearly 100 firefighters were needed to put out a large warehouse fire in north Houston early Tuesday. The Houston Fire Department responded to the fire at Martin's Lumber & Roofing Supply on Jensen Drive just north of 610 near the Eastex Freeway around 5:30 a.m. as black smoke began billowing from every window in the business. A big chunk of the business was damaged before crews were able to get the flames under control. Crews continue to monitor for hot spots. HFD said they're monitoring the air quality and that there's no cause for concern after neighbors worried about what exactly was burning. Crews said a large amount of stored lumber was burned as well as loud pops from propane tanks that had to be removed. The owner of the business declined to talk, but his assistant said they've owned the business for more than eight years
KHOU-TV CBS 11 Houston

Caught on camera: Suspect steals jaws of life off fire truck in Georgia

VIDEO: At Fire Station 2 in Forest Park, you would typically see the fire engine out on the driveway. The chief tells FOX 5 Atlanta, the department has canceled its open-door policy with the community after a thief stole the Jaws of Life off a fire truck. "We have the fire station doors open. We have the fire trucks parked on our aprons because we want that open door policy," said Chief Latosha Clemons. "We want the citizens to know that we are there for them. All they have to do is walk up to a fire station. But now since this incident we have to keep our doors closed. We have to keep our trucks in the bay."
WAGA-TV FOX 5 Atlanta

Former Denver Bronco Chase Vaughn inspires community in new firefighting career

VIDEO: Behind the wheel of a fire engine is the last place Chase Vaughn ever thought he'd be. "It's a whole different level of responsibility, and a lot more math involved," he said with a laugh. It's a job he's grown to love. He just didn't think a guy like him could actually be a firefighter. "As a kid, you see firefighters, but as a young Black kid, I didn't see Black firefighters," Vaughn told CBS Colorado's Kelly Werthmann. "So, for me at least, it didn't click that was an obtainable job for me to do." So, growing up, he chased down a different dream. Vaughn followed his love of football from Smoky Hill High School in Aurora to Colorado State University in Pueblo. Eventually, he made it to the ultimate hometown team. "I grew up around the Broncos and Broncos fans. For that to be the team that gave me my shot, that was awesome," Vaughn said.
KCNC-TV CBS 4 Denver

Ohio state grant helps University of Cincinnati researchers improve firefighter PPE

VIDEO: Data from the National Fire Protection Association shows overexertion, stress and medical issues has been the leading cause of death for firefighters. A new state grant is helping fund a project to help keep them safe. Firefighters use a specific type of jacket on the job, but the University of Cincinnati is working on adding different elements to better protect them in their work environment, and it’s all thanks to a $1.2 million grant. Glendale Fire Chief William Jetter has been a firefighter for the past 44 years. It's a career he said he took on because of his love for helping people. “We’re all volunteers that left their jobs and aided the community,” he said. "I like giving back and that’s what I’ve been ever since.” A lot has changed since he started 44 years ago. That’s especially the case when it comes to PPE.
Spectrum News 1 - Metered Site

Firefighter in Louisiana undergoes medical center’s first international kidney transplant

VIDEO: A Louisiana firefighter has a new lease on life after she received a gift like no other from an unlikely hero thousands of miles away. Our story starts with a Denmark woman named Marianne Poulsen. For more than two years, Marianne’s husband, Michael, was in desperate need of a kidney transplant but much to her dismay, she was not an organ donor match. Although enrolled in a Scandinavian donor exchange program, the couple was unable to find a match until they enrolled Michael in an international registry that paired him with a donor in Ohio. In May of this year, Michael underwent the procedure that would end up saving his life. As part of the program, Marianne joined the donor list so even though she may not have been able to help her husband, maybe she could give someone else a life-changing gift.
WVLA-TV NBC 33 Baton Rouge