More than 14,000 lightning strikes have hit Alaska and neighboring Canadian territories since early Monday. Most of the strikes were concentrated between the Brooks and Alaska ranges in the central and eastern half of Alaska, reported the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center. The center reported 11 new wildfire starts, all of them ignited by lightning. But many of the recent thunderstorms dropped rain, as a shift to cooler, wetter weather progresses. Fire information officer Jose Acosta said wildfire activity is slowing, but meteorologists are not calling the season yet. "It is not a season-ending event," he said. "This will cause a lull in fire activity that could easily pick up." Acosta said new fire crews from the Lower 48 are being flown into the state this week to replace crews who are required to take time off.  

It takes a large, efficient team to care for and feed all the firefighters in the field. While crews typically eat MREs (Meals Ready to Eat, prepackaged preserved meals) for the first 2-3 days on a fire, they are provided with fresh food boxes afterward whenever possible. Since the creation of the Lime Complex on June 14, the teams have flown 230 fresh food boxes containing all the major food groups, plus numerous "comfort food" items, to the different fire camps around the vast expanse of the complex. Of the 230 boxes, 149 were type A, meant to feed two people for three days, and 81 were type B, meant to feed four people for three days. Here are just a few examples of exactly how much food has been delivered: 622 steaks; 149 pounds of bacon; 3,576 potatoes; 1,490 oranges; 149 pounds of fresh carrots; 1,490 tortillas; 304.5 pounds of cheese; 690 loaves of bread; 149 jars of peanut butter and 149 jars of jelly; 2,462 packets of hot chocolate mix; and 1,869 candy bars.  

On Monday, a SpaceX booster test ended with an explosion on the Orbital Launch Pad triggering a fire near the base of the launch tower, as detailed in a recent video posted by NASASpaceflight. The Booster 7 test was conducted in preparation for a future Starship orbital test flight in Cameron County, Texas, according to the NASA video of the incident. "The methane-fueled Raptor engine has a complicated sequence of events that must unfold precisely in order for it to ignite, and SpaceX was testing the 'spin start' portion of this ignition sequence when the anomaly occurred" stated a portion of an Ars Technica report on the incident. "Something must have caused methane propellant to ignite, with the ambient oxygen in the air serving as an oxidizer, inside the vehicle," the report continues.  

The new mental health crisis number 988 launches Saturday, according to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The number will be available 24/7 for people to anonymously call or text trained counselors at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States. In 2020, nearly 46,000 people died by suicide -- one death every 11 minutes. The new three-digit dialing code is intended to be easier to access and remember than the 1-800-SUICIDE number, according to the 988 messaging website. "Nonstop through my entire shift calls are coming through," said Dana, who works at Community Crisis Services in Hyattsville. At the crisis center, call takers like Dana communicate with people in crisis, and their conversations can be life-saving.  

A pair of large fires in the late-1870s in Alpena altered the shape of the newly incorporated city and the development afterward remains visible today thanks to tougher building requirements inspired by the blazes. The fires not only shifted future development from Alpena's north side to the other side of the Thunder Bay River, but also led to the establishment of the city Fire Department and motivated what was then called the Alpena Common Council to draft and implement new zoning and building codes to help bolster safety. Still, many people suffered loss of property, loss of livelihoods, and even lost their lives because of the intensity of the fires. Alpena incorporated as a city on March 29, 1871. Less than a month later, a large fire broke out in the business district along the north shore of the Thunder Bay River.  

The New Britain Fire Department and Local 992 have come to an agreement to randomly drug test staff members. The agreement will test a third of the department yearly. That is about 45 people of the 130 on staff. Chief Raul Ortiz says it's a robust and extensive policy. In January, a New Britain firefighter died at his Southington home. His cell phone had drug-coded text messages with a colleague, investigators said. This later revealed a drug problem within the department. A lieutenant was fired and seven more firefighters, including two lieutenants, were suspected of drug activity. "It's something we've been working on since I got here about four years and it really has taken a life of its own in the last six months to a year," the chief said. "Most of our members, if not all of our members, want this kind of policy in place for protections."  

VIDEO: An Ohio man is proving even though his body is different, he can do what everyone else can and more. Four times a week, Mike Diehl walks into Powerstation Gym, loads up the rack, concentrates on his breathing, and engages his core while working out. He continues to push the limit with every press, pull and squat. With only one arm, he's already stronger than most. He holds the title of the second strongest disabled man in the world. In March of 2015, the former firefighter was in an accident on duty and his arm was crushed by a firetruck. Four months later, he became an amputee. It was only about three and a half years ago when Diehl decided to start competing in the sport of disabled strongman. He competes in a class with others who only have use of one arm.