One dead in Adamsville house fire

A house fire in Adamsville claimed one life Wednesday afternoon. The City of Adamsville said Wednesday night that a lady reported seeing the smoke. The Adamsville fire and police departments responded to the call, along with the Graysville Fire Department. The state Fire Marshal's Office is investigating the cause of the fire. No further details are available at this time.
WVTM-TV NBC 13 Birmingham

Vestavia Hills Fire Department acquires new ladder truck for Station No. 4

PHOTO: The Vestavia Hills Fire Department has acquired a new $1.2 million fire truck to serve the Liberty Park area out of Station No. 4, as well as new communications equipment. The ladder truck is replacing an engine and is expected to be in service for 15 to 20 years. It’s needed due to the large number of existing and forthcoming multi-story buildings in the area, fire Capt. Scott Ferrell said. The truck is brand new and will be in service by the middle of May after personnel spend time training with it. The truck can carry a maximum of five fire service personnel and has a rear-mounted aerial ladder with red, white and blue lighting. It is a quint, meaning it has five operations: hose, water, pump, aerial ladder and a ground ladder. The truck also should help the city’s rating from the Insurance Services Office, which affects homeowner’s insurance rates.
Vestavia Voice

Piedmont City Council approves chest compression system, new hires for fire department

In its meeting on Tuesday evening, the Piedmont City Council approved the fire department’s purchase of a chest compression system device, as well as the hiring of two new employees. Piedmont fire chief Mike Ledbetter said the LUCAS device, with a price tag of $14,993, would be purchased out of fire tax money. “I’ve trained with this piece of equipment before. I’ve used it in the field a number of times. I would like to have one to go on a fire truck in the event we get a cardiac arrest and an ambulance is delayed or if we beat the ambulance (on the scene),” Ledbetter said. “In just a few seconds, we’ve got it attached to a patient. We can turn it on. It does chest compressions for us and can free us up to do other things. In my opinion this is one of the best devices that has been invented for cardiac arrest in the field in my 32 years of doing this. It’s a game changer.”
WEIS 100.5 FM/990 AM

Small fire at hardwood company after lightning strikes power pole near Hatchechubbee

Severe weather in East Alabama has caused a small fire. According to Sheriff Heath Taylor, a small fire started at Dudley Hardwood Company after lightning hit a power pole on Highway 431 at Highway 26, near Hatchechubbee. The hardwood company was closed, but recently reopened. No injuries have yet been reported. The severe weather has also caused downed trees, blocking roads around the county.
WTVM-TV ABC 9 Columbus

Fire at high school gym in Birmingham

VIDEO: Birmingham firefighters Tuesday night were battling a fire at Ramsay High School. WVTM 13's Skycam showed flames and smoke coming from the gymnasium at 10:30 p.m. Firefighters were seen using a ladder hose to try to extinguish the flames. Crews had the fire under control at about 11 p.m. Birmingham Fire and Rescue spokesperson said no one was inside the building when the fire broke out. It's unknown at this time what caused the blaze.
WVTM-TV NBC 13 Birmingham

Fire crews work to put out church fire in Alexander City

VIDEO: Firefighters were working to extinguish a church fire in Alexander City. The massive fire broke out Tuesday night at Alexander City First United Methodist Church on Green Street. There is no word about possible injuries or what caused the fire. Incredible video of the fire was captured by 12-year-old Britton Brown.
WRBL-TV CBS 3 Columbus

Update: Woman arrested and charged with arson after fire at Mobile apartments

At approximately 6:48 a.m. on Monday, Mobile Fire-Rescue Department companies were dispatched to the Linx Plaza Apartments at 6960 Airport Blvd. Witnesses reported the presence of smoke in an apartment building. Upon arriving on scene, fire personnel confirmed a large quantity of thick, black smoke billowing from the door and windows of a first-floor apartment unit. Firefighters evacuated residents from the involved structure as suppression teams were able to quickly locate the source of the fire and extinguish all signs of flames without incident, according to Mobile Fire-Rescue. The apartment unit suffered significant flame, smoke, and water damage. Flames extended to the apartment directly above, causing moderate damage. Cause of Origin Investigators have determined the fire to have been intentionally set. Through the course of the investigation, Krista Andrea Gainey, 43 was arrested and charged with first-degree arson.
WALA-TV Fox 10 Mobile

Homewood apartment complex floods again, rescues made by boat

VIDEO: The Crescent at Lakeshore Apartment Complex is bordered by Shades Creek but after a recent deluge, it became more like a river and people had to be rescued by boat. Firefighters had to hand over life jackets and help residents here hop into a boat along with their pets and whatever they could carry to get to higher ground. “I do know we have brought out 13 people by boat so far,” Brandon Broadhead, Battalion Chief at Homewood Fire told WBRC. Many people got out before their first floor apartments filled with water as Shades Creek rose. It has happened before at this complex, as recently as February 2020 also requiring rescues. “One of my roommates’ car got flooded last year, the entire interior was completely flooded,” one resident said. Today, after the creek rose multiple feet, residents were just happy to get out safely, including a local student and her dogs.
WBRC-TV Fox 6 Birmingham

Former Alabama football player Landon Dickerson honors firefighters in Tuscaloosa before heading to NFL

Former Alabama football player Landon Dickerson is headed to the Philadelphia Eagles, but before he takes off for preseason training camp, he’s giving back to the City of Tuscaloosa. Landon Dickerson knows what it takes to get the job done on the football field, but says nothing compares to what first responders do on a daily basis. “They put themselves in harms way and all they want to do is help other people, I have the utmost respect for those people,” said Dickerson. Tuesday was International Firefighters Day and Landon, who teamed up with Academy Sports and Outdoors, surprised dozens of firefighters in Tuscaloosa with a $500 check to help buy supplies and gear. “You can’t find people who have this kind of personality, that want to help other people. They’re special people and they’re a necessity and I’m extremely appreciative of them every day,” said Dickerson. “My mom is a nurse and my dad spent 30 years in fire and rescue. I’m so thankful for them.”
WBRC-TV Fox 6 Birmingham