A suspect is under arrest and facing murder charges after two people were found dead in an apartment fire in Eagle River, the Anchorage Police Department said in a public alert late Saturday night. APD said 29-year-old Christopher Ricker faces charges of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, first-degree arson, first-degree criminal mischief, and two counts of first-degree assault. In a community alert, APD says officers and firefighters with the Anchorage Fire Department responded to the apartment complex on Meadow Creek Drive in Eagle River around 2:11 a.m. Saturday. AFD was able to put out the fire and that's when they found the first deceased person. "While the circumstances of the death are still under investigation, the death is considered suspicious in nature," APD wrote in the community alert.  

Wildfire season remains active in Alaska with 349 active fires burning as of Friday, according to the Division of Forestry. Team Rubicon, a veteran-founded and led nonprofit disaster response organization, is working with the Anchorage Fire Department and the Firewise program to help mitigate the potential risk of wildfires around Anchorage. On Thursday, volunteers from Team Rubicon were cutting down over a dozen trees infested with spruce bark beetles in the Hillside area. "We want to concentrate on the areas that could be more affected by a wildfire event," said Brian Dean, a fire marshal with the fire department. "We're also looking at properties that are adjacent to large parklands, large forested parklands." With limited openings for new applications and priority for properties near forested areas, the Hillside is one of the areas of focus.  

VIDEO/PHOTOS: The driver of a fuel tanker truck was killed after, authorities said, the vehicle fell off a ramp on Interstate 595 in Davie and exploded. Florida Highway Patrol and Davie Fire Rescue units responded to the scene of the crash near the Florida Turnpike, at around 3:45 p.m., Sunday. Investigators said the driver was heading westbound when he struck the concrete wall on the right shoulder and flipped over. Officials said the truck went over the wall. The vehicle was loaded with approximately 8,000 gallons of gasoline that ignited and exploded. "He pretty much rolled over onto his roof, and he caught on fire at that time," said FHP Lt. Yanko Reyes. Several videos shared with 7News captured dense black smoke and flames coming from the tanker truck. The thick plume of smoke could be seen from miles away.  

About a dozen local firefighters are about to embark on a long journey to mark the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. "We got 42 days until 9/11," said Batt. Chief Buck Buchanan, a retired LA County firefighter. "I'd really like to see a groundswell of patriotism come back." Buchanan helped organize the cross country bike ride that got underway Sunday at the Santa Monica Pier and was expected to take 40 days to reach New York. In all, eleven firefighters were taking part in the memorial tribute. "We're going to pay our respects for those that were lost on 9/11 and to try to bring awareness to the American people about how important a date this is," said Buchanan. "A lot of people aren't aware of the fact that we are coming up on more people dying, firefighters dying in the aftermath of 9/11 from working the pile, recovery, from 9/11 related cancers and illnesses."  

PHOTOS: The rambling stone clubhouse at Elks Country Club along the Kankakee River northeast of Aroma Park was engulfed by flames on the morning of Dec. 5, 1968. Ironically, the building was destroyed less than 24 hours after serving as the site of a banquet honoring the man who had been the club's golf pro for the preceding 20 years. John J. Krutilla had served as the Elks' resident pro since 1948, and for a number of years, was also the general manager of the country club. A native of Chicago, Krutilla's connection with the popular golf course dated to the years immediately before World War II, when it was known as the Hieland Golf and Country Club. Competing as an amateur, he won the Midwest Golf Open held there in 1940. In 1941, in a field of more than 100 pro and amateur golfers, he tied for fifth place among the amateurs.  

Firefighters doused the blaze before it tore through the rest of the building, but the damage was done. The Violet Street apartment fire late Tuesday drove 10 people — six of them children — out of house and home. A few days later, another apartment erupted in flames. This time, a few miles northward, just off Plank Road and south of Highway 190 in Baton Rouge, where firefighters again beat it back before it could spread and before it could hurt anyone. Two fires in three days, both ruled arson. The Baton Rouge Fire Department said it responded to 13 intentionally set blazes in all of July, damaging four lived-in homes, seven empty ones and two apartments. One proved fatal. Taking place in the dark morning hours, the July 23 fire licked up a house on Cable Street, hospitalizing the homeowner who succumbed to his burns a short time later.  

The term "hero"‘ is a well-worn term these days, but the final actions of Firefighter Thomas Royds seem to fit the bill. As an alleged drunk driver hurdled towards first responders at the scene of an auto accident on Interstate 76 in Lower Merion early on the morning of July 24 Royds, covering a shift at Belmont Hills Fire Co., pushed other firefighters away as he was struck by the out of control Jeep. Lower Merion Chief Fire Officer Chas McGarvey confirmed the report that Royds saw the jeep approaching and pushed the two firefighters away in an attempt to save them. "I haven't seen any video of it but he one of the injured firefighters said Tommy pushed them out of the way," McGarvey said. Royds of Springfield was a career and volunteer firefighter for over 30 years, serving the Lower Merion community at the Union Fire Association and the Belmont Hills Fire Co. as well as seven years as a volunteer in Clifton Heights.