Cooler and rainy weather over the past couple of days has slowed the growth of wildfires that've burned more than a quarter of a million acres over the past couple of weeks, mainly around the eastern Interior. "The cool weather and the rain -- it's really benefited us," says Sam Harrell, a spokesperson for the state Division of Forestry and Fire Protection. "But we're not out of the weather yet. We're still going to have high pressure lingering over the Interior. And with that's going to come the warm sunny days. We're still forecasting above-normal temperatures." But Harrell says firefighters have made solid progress during the cool rainy respite to cut more containment line around fires and douse them with dozens of loads from water-scooping aircraft.  

VIDEO: Fires at homeless encampments are a frequent occurrence, and the spread of them is becoming more diverse according to the Anchorage Fire Department. An official with the Anchorage Assistant Fire Chief Alex Boyd said the fire department gets five or more calls for service at homeless camps each day, and some days it can get up to 15 or 20. Some of those calls relate to fires. A little less than two weeks ago, four fires broke out at a homeless camp on 3rd and Ingra in under 30 hours. Boyd said some of the fires at the homeless camps are associated with cooking or people trying to stay warm. However, he said the majority of the fires are illegal. Anchorage Municipal Code cites the building of fires on public land as illegal, with exceptions such as areas designated by municipal Parks & Recreation for such use.  

VIDEO: A heartfelt video about a Coral Springs-Parkland firefighter who beat cancer has won a prestigious Telly Award. Produced by the City of Coral Springs Communications and Marketing Department, Driver Engineer Brian Hobson was presented with the award on August 3. A survivor of thyroid cancer, considered occupational for firefighters, Hobson was diagnosed early and treated quickly after an annual Life Scan physical – a comprehensive medical test covered by the city for all first responders. Diagnosed on November 30, 2020, Hobson was treated at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. "When I got the news after the biopsy, everything changed. I never thought at 37 I would be told I have cancer," he said in the video. After the surgery, he had numbness in his face and neck and got tired easily.  

PHOTOS: Cañon City Area Fire Protection District's shiny new Headquarters & Fire Station No. 3 is state-of-the-art, contemporary and, frankly, a long-time coming. What personnel and administrators value most, they say, is its functionality. The new nearly $12 million facility, located at 3016 E. Main St., officially began taking calls on July 31. "It came out fantastic, really, the station itself," said Chief David DelVecchio. "We tried to be as cost-effective as possible, but I think the station – functionality-wise – is going to be great for us, the admin side, the training room, the meeting room, those are all things we really needed to be successful as a fire district here in the community." Assistant Chief Scott Johnson likes the more modern training facility. "We found the space that we never had," he said.  

During the attack at the Covenant School, emergency calls to 911 show at least one teacher stepped into the hallway after hearing alarms go off, thinking it could be a fire drill. One proposal in Tennessee's upcoming special legislative session would change how schools react when the alarm sounds. According to the bill, HB7002, guns fired inside a school could produce smoke that sets off fire alarms. "The protocol in most communities, in most schools, is that the kids line up and immediately go through their fire drill. I mean, that's what they're trained on," said House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, the bill's sponsor. But he said some districts have policies requiring teachers to try to determine what caused the fire alarm to go off before evacuating. His proposal would require all schools to adopt a policy like that.  

PHOTOS: After three years of raising money, the Vintage Fire Museum's capital campaign has been completed with over $600,000 contributed for the purchase and restoration of its building. The museum, at 706 Spring St., Jeffersonville, has been at its location since 2020. It had been at other sites, including just across the street from the current spot. To celebrate the purchase and success of the capital campaign, the museum will host an event at 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 20. The event is free to the public and residents are encouraged to attend to celebrate the cause. "The building is purchased and paid for, the renovations were taken care of and paid for," said Curtis Peters, the Vintage Fire Museum's board chair. "All of that has been done, leaving no debt with this at all." Fred Conway's personal collection, which he started in the 1970s, lead to the creation of the museum.  

There is something about watching firefighters work that is naturally dramatic and exciting to witness. Life and death situations, danger, physical feats, and the men and women working hard in service of others make for a powerful combination. Which perhaps is why firefighters make for great TV. Audiences cannot get enough of firefighters on television, and some fantastic pulse-racing, heart-wrenching firefighter shows have been produced over the years. Of course, they may not all be 100 percent realistic and often feature heavy doses of romantic entanglements and drama within the firehouses. Nevertheless, it's hard to resist these shows, and fans keep coming back for more.