Alaska State Fire Marshal Richard Boothby announced his retirement from the Alaska Department of Public Safety, effective Aug. 12. Boothby has served as the Alaska State Fire Marshal since his appointment in January 2019, after a storied career with fire departments across Southcentral Alaska. Since 2019 Boothby has served as the state's top firefighter overseeing the review of commercial building plans, the investigation of significant fires across the state, and the training and certification of thousands of firefighters across Alaska. "Richard has served Alaskans with honor and distinction as the State's top fire official and has made significant operational improvements in the Division of Fire and Life Safety that will be felt for decades after his well-earned retirement," said Alaska Department of Public Safety Commissioner James Cockrell.  

Today(Wednesday), the Anchorage Fire Department responded to a residential fire at 10:52 a.m., near 12200 Avion St. Anchorage Fire Department Assistant Chief Alex Boyd said that the house was not occupied at the time of the fire, but the department responded with 16 units, including three water-tender suits. The area doesn't have its own fire hydrants. Boyd reported that the fire was brought under control shortly after 11:30 a.m. and that the house was significantly damaged by both fire and water. "The fire is devastating for the residents who have experienced a significant loss due to this event," Boyd said. At this time, no injuries have been reported, and the origin and cause of the fire are under investigation.  

Nearly 200 first responders are on scene after a five-alarm fire ripped through a Metro East recycling center. The fire was reported around 10 a.m. Wednesday on Fox Industrial Drive in Madison, Illinois. Heavy black smoke was seen across the area as flames shot out of the Interco building. Workers were inside recycling batteries, Madison Mayor John Hamm III said. A male employee was hospitalized after being burned by the flames. The severity of their injuries is unknown. "There were several explosions due to the hazardous materials and those materials are being identified at this time," said Matt Coppin with Metro West Fire Protection District. Around 11:30 a.m., Madison County EMA told News 4 they were sending out a Code Red for a shelter in place order around the burning building. It is not known how long the order will be in place.  

PHOTOS: The 911 call came in about an elderly man who had fallen outside a storage facility in central Phoenix. The fire crew, who are also paramedics, found 80-year-old Noel laid on his back on the concrete ramp under direct sunlight; he was weak, thirsty and very hot. Noel, an Englishman with diabetes and hypertension, had been moving furniture when his legs gave way. His core temperature was 104F – dangerously hot. (The typical range for a healthy older adult is 97 to 99F.) His blood pressure was also very high at 242/110, and his pulse was racing. Noel had been lying on the piercing hot concrete ramp for about 45 minutes. A firefighter wrapped an ice cold towel around his neck and inserted IV lines into both arms. It was 3.30pm and the outside temperature hovered above 100F – below the average for the time of year in Phoenix, but several degrees hotter than the previous week when monsoon rains cooled the city.  

VIDEO: January's deadly vacant rowhome fire along south Stricker Street rocked Baltimore City to its core. Three firefighters were killed and another was injured that day, and since then the cries for change have grown louder. Now, a new report from Maryland Occupational Safety and Health reveals the possible failures that may have put the firefighters in danger. Several firefighters who responded to the fire told investigators they were not aware the vacant home was damaged in a fire in 2015 which left several firefighters injured, and if they'd known they may have approached it differently. One of the men who responded to January's fire told MOSH he had actually fallen through the floor in the home in 2015. However, MOSH says dispatch never advised the firefighters, and an old system where x's were placed on buildings to warn firefighters of damage no longer existed. Councilwoman Odette Ramos says Code X-Ray began in 2010 but didn't last long.  

VIDEO: After 150 years of service the De Pere fire department has gone through many large changes. Despite these changes, the department uses its history to prepare for the future. "We always grow from the big events we have to get a little bit better," said battalion chief Brett Jansen. A technological advancement that is a far cry from the humble beginnings of the fire department back more than a century ago. There's been several large fires in De Pere that have molded the town's history. Jansen said the last major one unlocked a new method to battling fires in downtown. "It allowed us to put in dry hydrants which connect right to the river," said Jansen. Those hydrants allow the department to take water from the Fox River and pump it up to an active scene. Gone are the days of simple coats and boats. In their place, firefighters have full structural gear that Jansen said has helped them save countless lives on the job.