Fort Worth firefighters battled a 3-alarm apartment fire near Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport Thursday afternoon. Flames can be seen coming through the roof of a building at the Palo Alto Apartments on Great Oak Drive. High winds were an issue as firefighters worked to control the flames, according to department spokesperson Mike Drivdahl. The complex is near the intersection of Trinity Boulevard and Texas 360, south of the airport. According to Drivdahl, more than 100 firefighters responded to the incident Thursday afternoon. Initially, it was a two-alarm fire but the situation quickly escalated to a three-alarm due to powerful winds. One three-story apartment building was impacted, with the second floor partially collapsed. More than 30 residents have been displaced, Drivdahl said.  

Firefighters from at least eight departments fought a brush fire on Thursday about 10 miles south of Kerrville. As of late that afternoon, the fire had been contained, although hot spots were still being put out. It's believed the fire was started through artificial means, but details of the investigation into the cause were not immediately available. The blaze burned at least dozens of acres. The incident commander in charge of coordinating efforts was Wes Gordon, chief of the Turtle Creek VFD. Dub Thomas, Kerr County emergency management coordinator, also was on scene to provide assistance. The vast majority of the response to the brush fire was mounted by volunteers, he confirmed. "They do it without being asked," Thomas said. "It's a calling for them, it's all about people and communities working together, solving problems."  

A fire at a storage facility on the city's east side broke out just before 9 p.m. Tuesday. Bexar County firefighters responded to the blaze near the intersection of US Highway 87 and Stuart Road. They found a single-story commercial structure building on fire and flames shooting out from one storage unit. Crews immediately upgraded to a 2nd alarm due to it being a commercial structure and a storage building as a precaution since they didn't know what was inside. Officials at the scene said there was no one inside the building and there were no injuries reported. According to investigators, about six storage units had fire and smoke damage. All of those units and their contents are believed to be a total loss.  

Burkburnett ISD is in the process of expanding its technical training programs with new facilities to teach and new programs, which includes the new fire safety program coming Fall 2021. "Now we're graduating our own firefighters to work here in Burkburnett, save lives here in Burkburnett," the superintendent said. Burkburnett high school juniors will be able to enroll in their first round of the new fire safety course, focusing on skill training. By their senior year they'll be able to work hands-on and get the chance to practice on real fires. Students will then go to Vernon College to complete their EMT certification, and begin working as a firefighter. BISD's superintendent, Dr. Brad Owen, said the new program addition, and the purchase of a new facility to house all of the district's technical training, is helping students discover options other than college.  

Amid public conversations regarding the financial stability of Travis County Emergency Services District No. 2 and petitions for the inclusion of a new ESD proposal on the May ballot, Pflugerville City Council approved Jan. 12 the delay of further discussions on the topic. Council voted to delay additional discussions about ESD No. 2, which oversees the Pflugerville Fire Department, until it is able to meet with the ESD No. 2 board and the Travis County Commissioners Court. The meeting will outline the possible means of providing EMS services to city and extraterritorial jurisdiction, or ETJ, residents in Pflugerville. The deadline for including items on the May ballot is Feb. 12, and the city is set to make a decision by Feb. 8. In addition to the city of Pflugerville's consideration, Travis County Commissioners Court is expected to review ESD No. 2's district overlay proposal at its Feb. 9 meeting.  

Firefighters across Texoma are gearing up for a second day of weather conditions that bring a high risk of wildfires. Parts of Wichita County are even in the extreme danger category. "What we are facing tomorrow in particular is almost this perfect storm," Ken Prillaman, Fire Chief of the Wichita Falls Fire Department, said. A combination of high winds, low humidity, and lots of fuel, makes the fire outlook going into tomorrow particularly dangerous. "We're anticipating it could be a long day tomorrow and we'll see how long it will takes for this front to push through," Chief Prillaman said. The WFFD will have an extra brush truck on standby Friday. That truck will be sent out to any house fire calls just in case embers get blown into a field and ignite. Weather conditions that could bring winds topping 40 miles per hour are being closely watched.  

VIDEO: A massive, five-alarm fire broke out in Brooklyn Thursday evening, roaring through four buildings on one block as more than 200 firefighters battled the flames, officials said. The fire started just after 6 p.m. at a building on Montrose Avenue in East Williamsburg, fire officials said, as flames began on the second floor, shooting up to the third floor and going through the roof shortly after. Video from the FDNY shows firefighters on the roof of adjoining buildings attempting to put out the inferno, as huge plumes of smoke billowed into the night sky. By 8 p.m., the fire was under control, as crews at the scene were putting out smaller hotspots. The flames tore through three buildings, and a fourth also sustained damage. The fire was so intense it caused a wall to collapse inside one of the buildings. Approximately 30 apartments were inhabitable after the fire.  

A Georgia fire captain will deliver the Pledge of Allegiance as part of the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris next week. The International Association of Fire Fighters and the inauguration committee asked City of South Fulton Fire Capt. Andrea Hall to do the honors of reading the pledge. In a statement, Hall said she was honored to be chosen to participate in the inauguration ceremony. "I am thrilled and humbled to represent firefighters and other frontline workers in the state of Georgia and the City of South Fulton," she said. "It is a privilege and an honor to help usher in a new chapter of leadership for our country." Hall is the first African-American female firefighter to be captain of South Fulton's Fire Rescue Department. She was promoted to the position in 2004 by Fulton County before she joined the City of South Fulton.  

North Carolina is the first state in the country to implement a statewide voluntary registry to help combat the spread of COVID-19 among first responders, according to Insurance Commissioner and Fire Marshal Mike Causey. Causey's office partnered with RTI International to create a survey on the Fire Marshal website to allow fire departments, emergency service workers, and other first responders to report positive COVID-19 cases and quarantines. The goal is to provide real-time data for state leaders to understand how the virus is affecting first responders and what resources are needed to keep them safe. Current projections show increases of illness and death among first responders and members of the fire service due to the spread of COVID-19 and other illnesses. The International Association of Firefighters has created a nationwide COVID-19 tracking tool on its website, but the state registry is focused on the statewide needs of North Carolina's first responders.  

VIDEO: A retired firefighter from Chester, Pennsylvania is accused of being the man seen on video throwing a fire extinguisher that hit three police officers at the Capitol during the riot in Washington, D.C. last week. Robert Sanford, 55, was arrested Thursday morning on four federal charges, including knowingly entering a restricted building, disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, civil disorder and assaulting officers engaging in their official duties. According to the charging documents, the extinguisher bounced off the heads of three officers, two of whom wore helmets. Sanford, 55, traveled by bus with other people to the Capitol, according to documents. He told a friend when he returned home that he had been on the grounds for 10 minutes before leaving but did not mention throwing anything at officers, authorities said.  

As the COVID-19 pandemic ravages the USA, vaccines have begun to be distributed across the country and its territories. Two different vaccines, one made by Pfizer-BioNTech and another from Moderna, have been authorized for emergency use and are part of the widespread distribution process. The first shots were given Dec. 14, and states are able to place new orders every week. More COVID-19 cases are being recorded this winter than at any previous period of the pandemic. Many states struggle to administer vaccines at the same rate the vaccines are shipped. Anyone age 16 or older can receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, but the Moderna vaccine is authorized only for adults. States prioritize at-risk populations to be vaccinated first, including medical staff, people in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities, essential workers, the elderly and people with medical conditions that put them at greater risk of becoming seriously ill with COVID-19.