A wildfire burning just over eight miles west of the community of Anderson has some rural residents ready to evacuate. The Clear Fire, currently burning at 9,555 acres and 7% contained as of Tuesday afternoon, has crept to 8.5 miles west of Anderson. An update provided by fire officials with the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center said winds have shifted the fire to a southeast direction, putting it towards the Kobe Ag, Anderson and Quote Subdivision areas. The evacuation notices include a "go" order for Kobe Ag, Anderson and Quote Subdivision, as well as all cabins along the Teklanika River that are within two miles of the fire perimeter. All cabins from two to five miles from the fire's edge currently have a "set" evacuation order, meaning those places should be ready to go if the call is given. The Alaska Division of Forestry is hosting a community meeting in response to the fire, scheduled for Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Anderson Fire Hall at 911 D Street in Anderson.  

Federal fire officials say that the East Fork Fire is no longer threatening lower Yukon River communities. The 166,587-acre fire has burned for nearly a month near the communities of St. Mary's, Pitkas Point, Pilot Station and Mountain Village. The fire stopped growing south toward the communities over a week ago. In recent days, it's also stopped growing north and even begun retreating downhill. In an online update, fire officials say that several Native allotments along the Andreafsky River remain at potential risk from the fire, but the nearest cabin sits 5 miles away. Firefighters have buffered these allotments to reduce the risk of fire, and crews can provide additional protection if needed.  

PHOTOS: Crews are battling a massive blaze at a Maryland summer camp for kids that broke out Wednesday morning. Frederick County Fire & Rescue said at least 100 personnel are on the scene of the fire at Camp Airy. They said the two-alarm fire started in the dining hall and the initial dispatch was at 7:34 a.m. The fire has spread to the first and second floors. Thankfully, officials said the building was empty and no injuries have been reported at this time. According to the Camp Airy website, the campsite is for boys.  

According to a report, nearly half of all firefighter duty-related deaths across the country are caused by sudden cardiac deaths. The Springfield Fire Department says education is crucial in prevention. Springfield Fire Department's Division Chief Kelly Ash says physical fitness is also crucial, with the department dedicating an hour a day to keeping firefighters in shape. "Firefighting often is not a marathon. It's a sprint," Division Chief Ash says. "Our heart rate is at max. All of our physical efforts to get the fire out or to rescue a victim." Division Chief Ash says firefighters have 40 to 50 pounds of gear, which causes their body core temperature to rise quickly. "For a hot day like this, our bodies can't breathe," Division Chief Ash says. "We can't perspire. All that evaporation, which is the part that cools our body that doesn't happen with all the fire gear." Ozark Fire Chief Jarett Metheny says sleep schedules also play a role in this.  

VIDEO/PHOTOS: Paint splatters the sidewalks in Marion after two generations partnered together to honor those who risk their lives to public safety. A retired Marine veteran who lost people in the Vietnam war has partnered with descendants of a long line of military folks to produce a mural memorializing the military and first responders. "Whenever I got out of the Marine Corps in 1972 there was an entirely different attitude toward warriors then, toward the military," attorney Ronald Osman said. "In fact, we were spit on, on occasion, and it's always bothered me. They deserve to be remembered. All of the first responders and the people that keep us safe day in and day out deserve to be remembered and deserve to be honored." Ronald Osman and his son, Blane Osman, were approached by Tim Barnett, the Marion Fire Department chief, earlier in the year about putting something on the building across from the fire station that honored the firefighter. Especially those that died on 9/11.  

Each year, the Austin, Texas, Police Department (APD) call center diverts more than 80% of its calls to mental health clinicians, freeing police officers to focus on "hot calls," such as life-threatening situations and robberies in progress. Since 2019, Integral Care, the city's Local Mental Health and Intellectual and Developmental Disability Authority, has been integrated into APD's computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system. This means that when APD operators take a 911 call, they ask if the caller needs police, fire, emergency medical services (EMS) or mental health response. "They do their initial triage, and then depending on what information they're taking in, they have the ability to within the CAD system to transfer to the most appropriate first responder system or our clinicians," said Marisa Aguilar, crisis services administrator at Integral Care.  

Pennsylvania lawmakers have sent a new bill designed to improve safety in state-regulated childcare facilities to Governor Tom Wolf's desk, the General Assembly announced Wednesday. Introduced by Republican State Sen. Dan Laughlin, Senate Bill 563 was crafted in response to a fire that killed five children in Erie three years ago, according to Senate Republicans. "Many of the bills introduced in the General Assembly are in response to real life events that take place in our hometowns and local communities," said Laughlin, who represents Erie County. "Tragically, in this case, I introduced this legislation because of a Aug. 11, 2019 child-care facility fire that claimed the lives of La'Myhia Jones, 8; Luther Jones Jr., 6; Ava Jones, 4; Dalvin Pacley, 2; and Jaydan Augustyniak, age 9 months.