VIDEO: The Last Frontier is an experience that many firefighters never get. For the crews that do, it is a memorable experience that they regale their peers, friends and family with. Instead of digging miles of handline across ridgetops as done in many places in the lower 48, in the rare occasion crews dig line in Alaska, they instead cut what is referred to as "tundra trenches," which is much like pulling carpet. The intact tundra mat is easily replaced during suppression repair and grows back. Firefighters hike through wet, squishy ground with fire hose to spray the spruce trees spitting fiery sap, as bugs, nip at any exposed skin. The comforts of caterers, internet and showers reside far away in the lower 48. Alaska's rugged, remoteness does not allow for such relief. Firefighters must be self-sufficient and build their own "rad" camps. Surviving off Meals Ready to Eat, or MREs, for the first 72 hours until fresh food is flown in. Learning quickly who the good cooks are on their crew. Dining on steaks and getting creative with leftovers to make "weird soups."  

PHOTOS: State transportation crews have reopened all southbound lanes of Interstate 5 in Seattle Thursday evening after a vehicle carrying liquid oxygen caught fire and exploded, snarling traffic for motorists through the midday and afternoon commute. No injuries were reported during the incident, which resulted in the closure of both north- and southbound lanes near downtown Seattle for over an hour. Shortly before 6 p.m., state officials said on social media that there was a 4.5 mile backup on the interstate even though the westbound State Route 520 ramp to southbound I-5 was open as well as Boylston Avenue. Officials said they expected to reopen all lanes of I-5 sometime Thursday night. State transportation officials tweeted about 7:30 p.m. that the lanes had reopened.  

If you're not one for heights, then this view may not be for you. Rural Metro Fire – Knox County gave WATE's Bo Williams an inside look at its newest and biggest addition. In June, Rural Metro added a new $1.2 million aerial truck to its fleet to serve North Knox County for the next 20 years. "This aerial is 107 feet. That's at 72 degrees," said Jeff Bagwell with Rural Metro. "It's the most expensive fire truck we've ever purchased here in Knox County, and companywide. This truck is a big truck, and as a former chief used to say, ‘it's a difference maker'." Rural Metro crews are banking on this truck being a game changer when a call goes out. "We have a 2,000 gallon per minute pump. So, this pump has the capability to pump at least another 5 to 750 gallons more than any other pump we got in the fleet," said Bagwell. One of the great features of this new truck is the cameras, allowing for 360 degree views around the vehicle.  

A Bradenton firefighter has received the county's highest honor for a firefighter after donating a kidney to a fellow firefighter's wife. As a firefighter and former Marine, Lieutenant Derek Foss is always ready to answer the call. "Make a decision as it comes in," he explained. He says he didn't need any convincing on the decision to donate a kidney after learning he was a perfect match to be a kidney donor to Brianne Baker. "Probably two weeks after I gave blood and they called and said six out of six match," he said. Brianne Baker is a nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit at Tampa General Hospital and her health was declining. "I had no energy, I didn't realize how much I was declining over the months," she said. As a teenager, Brianne Baker was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease. At 32, her kidneys were failing and a match needed to be a perfect fit.  

Nico Smith didn't want to merely make a living, but to "have a living." She wanted to feel alive. That desire prompted her to quit her $116,000 a year job as a lawyer in February 2020 to strike out on her own. She ended up starting her own law firm, and later discovered a passion for firefighting. "A lot of things in my life were in flux at the time," the 36-year-old California resident tells CNBC Make It. Her ex-wife had just moved to Portland, Oregon, and they had recently adopted a son together as well. Working at a law firm "was just not suiting my lifestyle anymore." It came down to her mental health. "Working as a lawyer, you spend a lot of time sitting in a chair, and I have bees in my knees. I like to move around," Smith says. "I was gaining a lot of weight. I wasn't happy in my body anymore. I needed to find something that would allow me to have more balance in my life."  

At least 16 people are dead following catastrophic flooding in Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear said Friday. That number is expected to double and includes children, he told CNN earlier, as rescuers scramble to reach areas difficult to access. "It's going to get a lot higher," Beshear said at a news conference Friday morning. "There's going to be multiple families that we've lost," Beshear told Brianna Keilar on CNN's "New Day" earlier. "Kids that won't get the opportunity to grow up and experience so much that we have." "This is so deadly, and it hit so hard, and it hit in the middle of the night," the governor said, adding that although eastern Kentucky often floods, "we've never seen something like this." Rescuers are working around the clock to reach areas where flooding washed away roads or left them under water after heavy rain Wednesday night into Thursday.