Two people were severely burned in a fire in Bethel on June 6. The Bethel Fire Department responded at 3:36 a.m. to a fire at 236 East Avenue, across the street from Corina's Case Lot Groceries near the Brown's Slough mouth. When the firefighters arrived, two homes and a vehicle were burning. In total, 16 firefighters and six police officers responded, according to a statement from the fire department. Five city water trucks delivered water to the area to contain the flames. Firefighters brought the fire under control around 6:30 a.m., three hours later. The fire department determined the fire started unintentionally from "discarded smoking material in dry grass." Officials have not released the victims' ages.  

As of 9:00 am June 9th 2022, Burn Permit Suspensions have been lifted from the Mat-Su area. For the Palmer and Wasilla area, the fire danger has been reduced to Moderate. Alaska Division of Forestry would like to thank the public for overall cooperation with limiting burning during the period of suspension. A relatively small number of human-caused fires during the suspension allowed sufficient firefighting response to limit fire growth and prevent significant damage. Due to current and expected fire activity, the Preparedness Level for the state of Alaska was elevated to PL 3 as of June 8th. According to the Alaska Interagency Mobilization Guide, PL 3 means: Multiple areas experiencing fire starts and/or one project fire. Probability of ignition is high, burning conditions of moderate to high in all fuel (vegetation) types.  

VIDEO: Arkansas Department of Transportation crews took over 24 hours to clear all lanes along I-30 westbound after a fiery, fatal, multi-vehicle crash happened on Wednesday. There were 20 vehicles involved in the accident, which also included eight semi trucks. The accident happened near mile marker 86 along I-30 westbound and it resulted in three fatalities. Traffic was backed up for hours and was at a standstill until shortly after 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. "Looking at that road, we had to get all of the damaged trucks off the interstate. The final damaged truck was removed sometime around 7 or 8 this morning," said Dave Parker with ARDOT. Parker said that the crash started as a two car accident, but in the aftermath of that incident having backed up traffic, a second crash involving semi-trucks came around 15 to 20 minutes later. And the second accident caused a large fire to erupt. "The pavement, it literally melted and buckled. So, to reopen it safely we've got to get in there," said Parker.  

Only a few short months since it was established, the Texas Emergency Communications Center, which serves as the 911 dispatch center for five volunteer fire departments in northern Harris County, has achieved a noteworthy milestone. The local emergency response service was designated as an Accredited Center of Excellence for emergency fire dispatching, one of only 64 agencies in the world to receive that distinction. The accreditation status was bestowed on the TECC last month by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch, the standard-setting organization for emergency dispatch services worldwide. Accreditation from the IAED is the highest distinction given to emergency communication centers, certifying that the center is performing at or above the established standards for the industry. "The distinction places our center among the highest performing centers in the world," Lori Broadrick, TECC executive director, said in an interview.  

VIDEO: Captain Raymond Coci with Toledo Fire and Rescue went on his last call Thursday morning, leading crews to the intersection of Locust and East Bancroft streets for a fire at a duplex, less than two hours before his scheduled retirement. "Well, I was the first officer to arrive, so I had to take command, so I didn't get to go in immediately but as soon as the chief got here and took command I got to go in and do a little bit of firefighting," Coci said. Coci's fellow firefighters aren't surprised he was working until the last minutes of his 34-year career. He has bounced back from injuries in the past and finished his career as captain at "one of the busiest engine houses in the city," Station 7 on the corner of Bancroft Street and Franklin Avenue in central Toledo, TFD Pvt. Sterling Rahe said. Veterans with the TFD can't remember the last time a crew member retired while on the scene of a fire, which Rahe said "is a storybook ending."  

VIDEO: The FDNY has a brand new way to train its members for some of the most complicated rescues. The simulator was dedicated Thursday to a beloved member of the department who made the ultimate sacrifice on 9/11. At first glance, the enormous pile of rubble looks like the latest disaster in New York City with the broken fuselage of a plane, crushed cars and piles of concrete, but the firefighters feverishly working the scene are training at the FDNY Fire Academy. "Possibly somebody's under there. They're trying to get them out. They're in a confined space," FDNY Battalion Chief Joe Downey explained. Downey showed CBS2's Andrea Grymes the newest training site -- each piece of rubble meticulously placed to simulate several different real-life disasters.  

VIDEO: There's a team dedicated and ready to transport any future patients suspected of having monkeypox, and any other communicable disease here in Atlanta. The Grady EMS Biosafety Transport Team has already safely transported one suspected case. As of Wednesday afternoon, there were 40 cases of monkeypox across the country, including one in metro Atlanta. Team Lead Benjamin Mize and Medical Director Dr. Lekshmi Kumar expect to get more calls in the coming weeks. "We got the call for activation from Emory University Hospital's Serious Communicable Diseases Unit. What happens then is they call us and give us a two hour window to activate the team, get the members here and get the teams set and in suit, get the truck ready," Mize explained. "From there, we respond to the location and make contact with the patient."