Wildfire season in Alaska is in full swing with the Alaska Division of Forestry working to battle a handful of large fires across the state. From Fairbanks to the Kenai Peninsula and McGrath, the division is deploying crews and dropping water in the hopes of slowing fire growth. One fire in particular grew significantly in size over a short period of time. The Haystack fire, caused by lightning, was reported to the division on Monday. It's burning about 20 miles north of Fairbanks, according to a release from the division. It was first reported 2 miles north of the Haystack Subdivision and was initially reported to be about 5 acres. By Tuesday afternoon, it was estimated to be 400 acres, and by 10 p.m. Tuesday night it had grown to 500. The blaze is burning mostly among black spruce, with some mixed hardwoods as well and is "exhibiting what fire managers described as extreme fire behavior with 200-foot flame lengths at the head," the division wrote in the release.  

A giant waterslide at a New Jersey waterpark lived up to its name Tuesday, when it went up in flames. The ride called 'High Anxiety,' went up in flames at Mountain Creek Water Park in Vernon. A spokesperson for the water park says the fire broke out when the park was closed, and there were no reported injuries. "We can confirm that there was a fire at our water park today that affected our High Anxiety attraction," spokesperson Brian Lowe said. "First and foremost, we are thankful that the park was closed and there were no reported injuries. We are grateful to the Vernon and other local responding volunteer fire and EMS departments as well as the Vernon Police, who responded within minutes to help extinguish the fire."  

Representatives for Albany's fire department said if the city doesn't fix their pay scale, it's just wasting taxpayer dollars. Union members told WALB Investigates, that firefighters were given a choice between getting a city-wide raise or fixing issues with the department scale. Most chose to correct the scale. The city is finalizing its budget next Tuesday. That means they have an opportunity to put taxpayer money toward fixing the pay scale or perpetuating an issue that's been going on for decades. The Albany Fire Department's current pay scale allows subordinates to make more than their supervisors on a wide spectrum. Often, those supervisors have many more years of experience on the job. "I have an issue that I make more than my superiors," said Professional Firefighters of Albany Union president, Ronnie Pettiford.  

Volunteer firefighters in North Carolina may someday qualify for state retirement benefits. On Monday, Congressman Patrick McHenry (NC-10) was joined by Congressman Ted Budd (NC-13), Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-08), Congressman Greg Murphy (NC-03), Congressman Dan Bishop (NC-09), Congressman Madison Cawthorn (NC-11), Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (NC-05) and Congressman David Rouzer (NC-07) in introducing H.R. 3874, legislation that would allow full-time nonprofit firefighters and emergency medical service workers to join a state or local retirement system. "Every day, the brave men and women serving in our volunteer fire and EMS departments work tirelessly to keep our communities safe," McHenry said in a news release.  

Paramedics were put to the test Tuesday at a conference that attracted hundreds of first responders to South Florida. The paramedic competition was a highlight at the "First There First Care" Conference at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino & Hotel in Hollywood. Dema Ammar is a student at Palm Beach State College and studying to become a paramedic. "Honestly after you go through all that, there's nothing at school they can throw at you that can like throw you off," Ammar said. She watched certified paramedics from around the state put their life-saving skills to the test at the 24th Advanced Life Support Competition on Tuesday. Broke Stark is in her last year of EMT school, she says these competitions can make you into a better paramedic.  

On June 15, 1991, just days before scheduled improvements were to begin, a lightning bolt split and seared the roof of KU's Hoch Auditorium, sparking a massive blaze. "The fire started around 3:20 p.m., shortly after a violent thunderstorm began pelting the Lawrence area with heavy rain and pea-sized hail," said Kansas Alumni magazine. "The void between the ceiling and the roof … provided nearly 550,000 cubic feet of air. Over 58,000,000 BTU's of heat were possible with the amount of wood and air present in the void. Add a channel of lightning that is capable of producing heat exceeding 53,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and you have fire." At the time, KU said a fire engineer from the Lawrence Fire Department was already on campus to respond to a fire alarm at Watson Library allowing firefighters to reach the Auditorium within minutes.