VIDEO: Lubbock Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Nick Wilson said he's incredibly proud of his department for hitting all 300 boxes on the Texas Commission of Fire Protection's inspection. While some of the inspection focuses on policy and procedure, Wilson said a lot of it also includes firefighter safety. "They're looking at all of our protective equipment, our gear, coat, pants, the condition of those, the age to make sure the record keeping is good, to make sure the cleanliness, our air packs, all of the testing that goes on," he said. Coming back from a fire squeaky clean wasn't always in style, according to LFR Training Battalion Chief, Randy Lammons. However, since 2019, the department has been working to change that with Station Four's gear facility.  

VIDEOS: A family is grieving after a woman was found dead in an apartment fire in southeast Houston Wednesday night. The Houston Fire Department responded to the fire shortly before 10:30 p.m. at an apartment building on Fairway Drive, which is near the South Loop and the Gulf Freeway. KHOU 11's Ugochi Iloka spoke with the woman's husband, who said he's still trying to find a way to tell his 10- and 6-year-old sons that they not only lost their home, but their mother too. "She was just the best thing that ever happened to me," Andrew Salinas said. "And now it's Christmas and now I have to explain to the boys." Salinas identified the victim as his wife, 33-year-old Keila Almonte. In a video shared by a neighbor who didn't want to be identified, you can hear Salinas yelling for Almonte to break a window to escape the fire.  

Investigators say a hoverboard is to blame for starting a fire at a Balch Springs apartment that left dozens of people without a home. Around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, firefighters responded to a fire at the Spring Oaks Apartments in the 4300 block of Shepherd Lane. Other nearby fire departments helped the Balch Springs Fire Department evacuate all the residents and put out the fire. In total, 12 apartment homes were destroyed and 8 had major smoke and water damage, leaving 82 people without a home. The Balch Springs Emergency Management set up a temporary shelter at the Balch Springs Senior Center for those affected. The American Red Cross is also helping. It's unclear if anyone will be cited for the fire.  

VIDEO: Located in Sunset Center, the academy will serve as a hub for criminal justice and first responder programs including EMS, firefighters and police officers. "Right now, we're spread out over two different campuses on opposite sides of town. So this will bring us together in a central facility," said Eric Wallace, director of criminal justice programs for Amarillo College. Having all criminal justice and first responder programs in the same location will allow instructors to pull resources and work with these students at one time. "Out in the field, they all work closely together. So it's really important that they are trained together and educated together," said Chris Sharp, vice president of business affairs for Amarillo College. The goal is to provide a more convenient way to bring students the tools to become first responders.  

PHOTOS: A plane making a forced landing on Interstate 26 in North Carolina Thursday night caught fire and snarled traffic for hours. Several News 13 viewers have called the newsroom, reporting a crash. And video showed the aircraft on fire. Asheville fire officials confirmed the forced landing. According to the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office, multiple people were taken to the hospital. An airport spokesperson said the aircraft reported problems and said it needed assistance. It then landed on the interstate between Long Shoals and Airport roads. It's unclear when the fire started. The airport deployed a fire truck for mutual aid, airport officials said. Skyland Fire and Rescue, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Asheville Police Department and Buncombe County Sheriff's Office were on scene.  

PHOTOS: The Evanston Fire Department today unveiled a new fire engine with a distinctive Northwestern University-inspired purple and white color scheme. The university agreed two years ago to provide $800,000 to fund the purchase of the new engine. And Fire Chief Paul Polep says he started work shortly after that — meeting with firefighters at Fire Station #3 on Central Street where the new engine is housed — to come up with the new design concept for the engine — the latest of several fire and ambulance vehicles donated to the city by the university. "This is our way of showing gratitude to Northwestern for the continuous collaboration between our fire department and the university over the years," Polep says. "We're proud of how it turned out."  

Marking a significant milestone, a fire department in West Haven welcomed its first female firefighter, who was officially sworn in Tuesday at Minor Park Station. Samantha Trayer, a 32-year-old resident of Milford, experienced a groundbreaking moment as she was sworn in by Iris Diaz, chairwoman of Allingtown's Board of Fire Commissioners. Over three dozen commissioners, chiefs, officers and firefighters, from both Allingtown and West Haven's other two fire departments, were present to witness the historic occasion. "This swearing-in ceremony marks a new chapter in the City of West Haven Fire Department Allingtown, officially adding our first female career firefighter to its ranks," Chief Michael R. Terenzio said. Terenzio added that Trayer was near the top of her class at the Connecticut Fire Academy's 14-week Recruit Firefighter Program.