The state Fire Marshal's Office is investigating the cause of a fire that badly damaged a home near Ester over the weekend. And the state Medical Examiner's office will conduct an autopsy on a victim firefighters found inside the house. First-responders from five Fairbanks-area fire departments found the house on the Old Nenana Highway was already burning when then got there a little after 8:30 Saturday night. The crews extinguished the fire, but the home was "significantly damaged," according to a report from the Alaska Division of Fire and Life Safety. The report, issued Monday, says an initial investigation suggests the fire began near a woodstove in the living room.  

Crews have taken control of a massive fire that broke out at an auto parts store in Hialeah. Hialeah and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews arrived at the scene at Rastro Coco Auto Parts, located at 5171 E. 10th Court, just before 1 p.m., Tuesday. The fire has been mostly put out after crews worked for hours to douse the flames. 7Skyforce hovered over the scene where hundreds of cars were caught in the blaze, as thick black smoke billowed from the lot. Vivian Espino lives nearby. "Explode, explode, explode," she said describing a startling wake up call. She was taking an afternoon nap when, all of a sudden, the business down the street from her home in Hialeah went up in flames. Hialeah Fire Department Asst. Chief David Rodriguez said, "This is a junkyard, a big junkyard, it takes about half a city block, that was fully engulfed."  

A Nevada fire department that closed one of its stations for an "undetermined amount of time" because of a bat infestation is now preparing to hand that station back over to the state and move to a new building. The Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District said in August that Fire Station 30, which dates back to the 1950s, was a "health and safety risk for crews." Bats were seen flying around the station's living quarters and dead bats were found in the apparatus bay, the district said at the time. The district had also tried to address bat problems in 2015, only for the bats to return. The station is about about 20 miles south of Reno, Nevada, and roughly 10 miles north of Carson City. It is leased to the fire protection district from the state of Nevada.  

VIDEO/PHOTOS: The next time you have an emergency that demands the aid of 911, you may be asked to help dispatchers and first responders by video chatting through your phone. A new software being rolled out throughout parts of Colorado now gives 911 dispatchers the ability to access a caller's cellphone cameras after being given permission by the user. LETA 911, an organization that helps organize and oversee dispatch communications throughout Larimer County in northern Colorado, has partnered with a company named Prepared Live, which allows dispatchers to use the video aspect of 911 calls. Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith and his office were among the first to sign up to adopt the software in their dispatch center and begin using it with callers. The software has already been used multiple times by the sheriff's office which has saved money, resources and lives on several calls for help.  

PHOTO: An Iowa dog apologized to a local fire department after getting so excited to go to dog camp that she accidentally pulled the fire alarm. Birdie goes to dog camp at Dogwoods Lodge in Grimes. "She just arrived for day camp and was just bouncing around and bounced into the fire alarm, pushed it in, pulled it down and that was it," said Jessica Tapper, owner of Dogwoods Lodge. Video from Dogwoods Lodge's security camera shows the moment Birdie jumped up excitedly, but accidentally hitting the alarm, which prompted a visit from firefighters. Staff with Dogwoods Lodge in Grimes posted an image on Facebook showing Birdie with a sign around her neck saying, "I'm sorry I pulled the fire alarm today."  

PHOTOS: A Lawrence firefighter is turning to the public for help after his car and department helmet were stolen in Wilmington. Firefighter Patrick Sweeney told Boston 25 News he parked his car in the back of the Regency Place around 10 p.m. on Sunday night and woke up Monday morning to his Dodge Charger HellCat missing from the lot. Sweeney said his work gear and helmet, with his grandfather's dog tags engraved in it, were in the trunk of the Charger. "I don't even care about the car, I really only care about my helmet," Sweeney said. "A firefighter's helmet is like his personality, everything else can be replaced." The Lawrence Fire Department along with Wilmington Police said if anyone sees the car or missing gear to please call the department.