University of Alaska Anchorage associate professor Micah Hahn studies the health impacts of climate change. But while searching for data on Alaska, she noticed something when she took a closer look. "When you zoom into Alaska there is a big, black hole, and a lot of times Alaska is sort of left out of these data sets," Hahn said. That's when Hahn decided to fill in the missing information gaps about the impact wildfires have on the health of Alaskans. Utilizing a $1.3 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency, Hahn works alongside a team of eight other resources and community members to craft an online tool to help educate communities about wildfire, smoke and the impact it has on residents health. Her project is called "Filling data gaps: Developing a community-centered tool for assessing health impacts of intersecting climate hazards, wildfire smoke exposure, and social disparities in rural tribal and aging communities in Alaska."  

A fire ignited at an auto salvage yard in Grapeview Wednesday, according to Chopper 7 video from the scene. Live video from the scene showed several piles of tires on fire, with flames extending to the largest building on the property. According to Washington State Patrol Trooper Katherine Weatherwax, seven 500-gallon drums of oil caught on fire. One person was airlifted to an area hospital for smoke inhalation. Heavy black smoke was seen rising from both sides of the building and flames were spotted throughout. "We had to bring in tenders that shuttle water," said Norma Brock, public information officer for Central Mason Fire & EMS. "So we had to go down the road to wherever they're getting it — I believe at Spencer Lake — they fill the trucks then they shuttle up and take turns running water into our engines and hoses and ladder truck."  

VIDEO: At her school's recent career day, Penelope Montenegro knew immediately what she wanted to be: a firefighter. She came to class dressed like her father, Paul, who works for the Fort Myers Beach Fire District. But some older kids in Penelope's school didn't understand how a girl could be a firefighter. "At different points throughout the day, people snickered," Paul said. "They made comments." But on Wednesday, Penelope got confirmation she can be anything she wanted. Female firefighters from across Southwest Florida showed up at Oasis Elementary South to show support for the third grader. "We are here to show there are amazing things about this job," Jennifer Gordon, a firefighter on Fort Myers Beach, said. "Anyone can be anything they want to be."  

Quincy officials are looking for state lawmakers to approve a request that would allow retired firefighters to come back on board for support duties. The Quincy City Council supports giving the fire chief the power to appoint retirees as "special firefighters" who'd help cover detail assignments. A home rule petition the council filed this week requires approval from the state Legislature for such positions to be created. An increased workload within the fire department has sparked the need for the special firefighters to man detail assignments, particularly at construction sites, said Tom Bowes, president of the Quincy Firefighters Association Local 792. Developers are required to get a fire watch detail when welders and pipefitters are performing work inside a building, and the fire department sometimes has a hard time making sure someone is at the site, Bowes told the Herald on Wednesday.  

VIDEO: National Arson Awareness Week is May 7- May 13. Fire officials are using it as a reminder to educate on the dangers of fire. It comes as youth fire setting continues to be a problem throughout the United States. Juveniles account for more than 50% of all arson arrests in the United States, according to Burn Prevention Network. Statistics show many of the children who set fires lack both parental supervision and fire education. "This has been an ongoing problem," said E.S.C.A.P.E. President Michael McLeieer. "It's not something that's just happened in the last couple of years since COVID. This has been a multi-decades problem, and we often forget about how we handle this problem, so with a multidisciplinary approach with schools, with law enforcement, with court systems, juvenile justice, mental health, we can provide the best opportunities for the family," he said.