Fire crews are handling a major fire caused by an explosion in Corpus Christi, according to police. Corpus Christi Fire Department Deputy Chief Billy Breedlove said a barge hit a pipeline which resulted in an explosion, according to Caller Times. KRIS TV reports that the new underwater pipeline ruptured at the barge loading dock, and the owner of the barge said multiple employees were working at the site at the time of the explosion. The fire engulfed the barge and then spread from the pipeline to a grain elevator, according to the report. The explosion was reported around 8 a.m. near Nueces Bay, according to the Associated Press. Corpus Christi Fire Chief Robert Rocha said that four people were taken to a hospital by the Corpus Christi Fire Department, and two more people were transported to a hospital by Coast Guard. The Coast Guard said six people are missing, according to KRIS TV.  

VIDEO: Firefighters with the Fort Worth Fire Department have put out a 2-alarm apartment fire on the city's east side. Emergency crews were called out to the Casa Villa Apartments, in the 6100 block of Oakway Lane, just before 5:00 a.m. It wasn't hard for firefighters to locate the unit in question, witness say the flames were so high the fire could be seen from several miles away. A CBS 11 News crew was told no one was inside the unit at the time and no injuries were reported. Investigators are still working to find out exactly what sparked the fire.  

Starting this month, residents in east Montgomery County will soon see a new addition — big and red — rolling through the streets. The East Montgomery County Fire Department is introducing its first-ever ladder truck. It is expected to help crew members focus on pulling people out of fires, while those on an engine put out the flames, EMC Fire Chief Howard Rinewalt explained. It creates "a safer environment, as far as the crew that's fighting the fire and the victims that may be inside, with the functions of truck work." Rinewalt said of the truck whose ladder reaches out 107 feet. "With the increase of commercial buildings in our area … we have a real need for a specialized crew." Made by Pierce Manufacturing, the 40-foot-long new truck will add the number of firefighters on a vehicle by at least a fourth body. The ladder truck replaces a ten-year-old engine, according to Rinewalt.  

A woman who lives in a Southwest Side neighborhood where a vacant home went up in flames overnight says she believes the fire is suspicious in nature. Sandra Sandoval said she has never seen anyone living in the single story home that, until early Thursday morning, stood at the corner of Lark Valley and Walnut Valley. "There's never been a light on, you know? So I don't think that was an accident, personally," she said. Arson investigators who were called in to find the cause of the fire still had not made a determination as of late Thursday morning. Woody Woodward, a spokesman for the San Antonio Fire Department, said due to the amount of damage, they may never be able to figure out how it started. Sandoval, meanwhile, is grateful the fire did not spread to her home.  

An organization in Longview started a campaign to support East Texas first responders by giving away signs. The organization is a fraternal order established in 1864 called Knight of Pythias. The signs they made in support of local heroes read, "We back the blue and firefighters too." Sparked by violent protests and looting seen throughout the nation, one member of the organization, Arthur Fort, felt like he had to show his police and firefighters that Gregg County residents support their law enforcement. Fort is a former police officer himself and Gregg County Justice of the Peace and his brother is a former firefighter. As a member of Knights of Pythias, Fort has done charitable acts for the community and has made several donations to Longview first responders. Fort said their money is gained through the property that they own. They then donate that money to charities as their way of supporting their town.  

Fire Prevention Week is coming up fast and our Victoria Fire Departments are here to offer their support! The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and State Farm Agents Diana Escalante and Eli Sauseda are partnering with Victoria Fire Department for the annual public awareness campaign that promotes home fire safety. It's something that goes back over 90 years with the National Fire Protection Association. Fire Prevention Week is coming up the week of October 4th through the 10th. State Farm Agents will be delivering toolkits to 175 fire departments across Texas, including Victoria. These kits include brochures, magnets, posters, and lots of resources to help us all share this important safety information in the Crossroads. These items will be shared with schools and at community events this fall.  

VIDEO: A raging fire engulfed a home in Great Kills early Friday morning, displacing a family and injuring nine firefighters. Video from the scene shows flames and thick black smoke pouring from the upper floors and roof as FDNY members sprayed the inferno with hoses. The three-alarm blaze was reported at about 3 a.m. for a two-story home at 8 Holly Ave., according to a spokesman for the FDNY/EMS. The injured firefighters were transported to area hospitals, including six members to Staten Island University Hospital in Ocean Breeze, one firefighter to Staten Island University Hospital in Prince's Bay, and two members to Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton, the spokesman said. Four people inside the home were able to escape safely before firefighters arrived, according to ABC7. Red Cross has been in touch with the displaced family and has offered assistance, according to a spokesman for the organization.  

A new Oregon State University study suggests that firefighters are more likely to be exposed to potentially harmful chemicals while on duty compared to off duty. The on-duty firefighters in the Kansas City, Missouri, area experienced higher exposures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, which are a family of chemicals that are known to have the potential to cause cancer. They were also exposed to 18 PAHs that have not been previously reported as firefighting exposures in earlier research. The study, funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is published in the journal Environment International. The results are important because previous studies have shown that firefighters have an increased risk of developing cancer and other damaging health effects, said study lead Kim Anderson, an environmental chemist and Extension specialist in OSU's College of Agricultural Sciences.  

VIDEO: With COVID-19 restrictions loosening in S.C. Shriners Hospital in Greenville along with firefighters from Greenville Fire Department surprised the children with a day full of joy. "One of our employees just asked if they could donate some fun hats to the kids to brighten their day and they took it and ran with it from there. They volunteered to actually come and visit the patients in a special socially distanced format," Trana Pittam, director of marketing and communications at Shriners Hospital said. The firefighters propped up their ladders to climb two stories to the windows of children in the hospital and entered their rooms with toy firefighter hats. Many of the patients were those receiving specialized orthopedic care, but since safety restrictions were tight at the hospital not many visitors were allowed. Firefighters allowed children to get an exclusive look at the fire trucks, leaving many with smiles on their faces.  

PHOTOS: When D.C. firefighters responded to the report of a fire in Northeast Thursday evening, a man suspected of setting the fire attacked Fire Engine 8. As they were trying to put out the fire, which was outside in the 300 block of 18th St. NE, the man became aggressive toward the crew, according to a DC Fire and EMS spokesperson. The crew called for police assistance and tried to move toward a safer place. The man then shattered the driver side window of the fire truck. One firefighter was injured. The suspect was taken into custody.  

Three new scientific studies published this month show that the COVID-19 virus can spread in more ways than we once knew. Research from various parts of the world considered three separate factors in each study: low humidity, public restrooms and airborne dust. The implications from all three of these studies? Mask up! A study just published in Transboundary and Emerging Diseases confirms an earlier study conducted in the Greater Sydney, Australia area during the early stages of the pandemic reported a link between low humidity and community spread of COVID-19. The new research led by Dr. Michael Ward in the Sydney School of Veterinary Science adds to the growing body of evidence that low humidity is a key factor in the spread of the Coronavirus. The scientists estimated that for a 1% decrease in relative humidity, COVID-19 cases increase by 7 to 8%. The same link was not found in other weather patterns such as rainfall, temperature or wind.