Last year's wildfire season was the largest on record in Bristol Bay, following a trend toward bigger and more numerous fires in southwest Alaska. Bristol Bay experienced its largest wildfire season on record last year, underscoring a trend toward bigger and more numerous fires in southwest Alaska as the climate warms. "We really have not seen anything like this," said University of Alaska Fairbanks climate specialist Rick Thoman. "And the Bristol Bay region was the most extreme of all the extremes," said University of Alaska Fairbanks climate specialist Rick Thoman. Fires scorched nearly 650 square miles in the Bristol Bay region last year; more land than has burned in the region in the past 72 years combined.  

Fire crews in Walker say no one was hurt after firefighters battled a blaze at an apartment complex Monday afternoon. It happened around 2:30 p.m., and according to a post online by the Walker Fire Department, the fire started on a balcony off Weatherford Dr. NW. Multiple fire crews could be seen tending to large plumes of smoke and flames at Green Ridge Apartments near the Green Ridge strip mall off Alpine Avenue. Two ladder trucks were seen helping out the cause. Authorities say the fire traveled up into the attic space. All told, it took about 45 minutes to knock down the fire initially, but crews stayed on the scene for several hours after to snuff out hotspots. The last crew on the scene left at 8:30 p.m.  

VIDEO: Thousands of Californians fled their homes as severe weather continued to batter the state, leaving one dead, a child missing and massive swaths of power outages on Tuesday. Moderate to heavy rains were expected to continue to hammer much of California on Tuesday as a fresh low-pressure system barreled toward the state as part of a "parade of cyclones" that prompted a string of rescues Monday. Homes were flooded, streets transformed into rivers and cars were swamped amid the deluge. One person was killed in Avila Beach, roughly 180 miles north of Los Angeles, when a vehicle was overtaken by water, said Anita Konopa, an official with the San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services.  

A dozen East Point firefighters will be redeployed after a late-night fire destroyed one of the city's fire stations. The City of East Point's Fire Department says the blaze broke out shortly before 11:32 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6 at Fire Station #3, which is located on the 3800 block of North Commerce Drive. The fire, which started in the Bay area of the station, resulted in massive damages including the destruction of the Bay area and the loss of one of the fire trucks. The station's living quarters was mostly unaffected by the blaze, only receiving some smoke and water damage. According to officials, a passerby noticed the station was on fire and called 911, who radioed the station. The station's firefighters and member of the other stations quickly started working at the scene and got the fire under control before it spread.  

Ocean City paramedics are bringing new equipment into the field to better treat trauma patients. Ocean City Fire Department (OCFD) says the Ocean City Career Fire/EMS Division is getting ready to add ultrasound technology to its crews. Officials say the equipment will help determine the extent of injuries in trauma and medical patients. The technology will allow paramedics to quickly and accurately assess how severe injuries are, say officials. Uses for ultrasound technology could include abdominal pain, cardiac arrest, and a suspected tension pneumothorax, according to OCFD. "We are excited to add ultrasound to our toolbox," said OCFD Public Information Officer Ryan Whittington in a release.  

With all of the benefits of pretend play, one toy company is aiming to inspire young girls with a new line of dolls, fashioned after female firefighters. Triple F, which stands for Fierce Female Firefighters, has launched a line of authentic firefighter plush characters, with the third character coming out this month. Developed by a real-life female firefighter, Triple F Plush dolls were designed to inspire, motivate and empower young girls while also honoring the women in the fire service and emergency medical services worldwide. According to the owner, Tina Guiler, this is the first line developed by an actual firefighter and "is more authentic than any other product on the market." "Triple F, which stands for Fierce Female Firefighters, aims to encourage and educate young women that they too can be a firefighter if they want to be," she said.