Midland County fire crews are on scene of a large fire at Viking Pools, according to a county spokesperson. The Viking Pools building is located near I-20 and 1788. At this time there is no word on what caused the fire, but a spokesperson tells us there were toxic chemicals inside the building, which means there is a possibility of toxins in the air. The county's concern right now is that the National Weather Service says winds have shifted and could cover the interstate. They also said winds could reach up to 20 miles an hour by 10 p.m. Midland County is warning people that if they are able to smell the fire in their homes, it would be a good idea to leave the area. A county spokesperson said they have evacuated an RV park in the area.  

Waco Fire Department Lieutenant Jared Pankonien is always ready to answer the call when his help is needed during a fire or an emergency. On Monday night, Pankonien faced an emergency of his own after his house in the Hallsburg caught fire while he was on duty. The firefighter's wife and three children were in the home, but able to get out safely. The home, however, is a total loss. Now, first responders across Central Texas are uniting to help Pankonien recover from the devastating loss. "We respond to people's houses on a daily basis and it's heart wrenching every time you do it. But we are human, also, and you think that kind of stuff doesn't happen to you," said Philip Burnett, with the Waco Professional Firefighters Association.  

Elysian Fields Volunteer Fire Department has become a licensed first responder organization with Texas Department of Health and Human Services. Members of the department completed classes which now gives the department the ability to run medical calls for the community and district. This came about due to calls in the past where patients needed medical treatment. "Having that early intervention, that basic life saving services from bleeding trauma to cardiac response that not necessary could have saved the person's life it could have. We won't ever know till we start trying it," said Darrin Peeples, Assistant Fire Chief for Elysian Fields VFD. "Now that we are into the medical side of it, it's a new area. We are now just getting our feet on the ground with it but I think we are going to do a lot for our community," said Robert Bryan, Chief of Elysian Fields VFD.  

A retail store in Crossroads Center sustained thousands of dollars in damage Wednesday afternoon according to local fire officials. According to Eddie Mawson, Assistant Fire Marshal with the Wichita Falls Fire Department, fire fighters were alerted to a structure fire in the 2700 block of Southwest Parkway at the Dollar General located in Crossroads Center around 3:35 p.m. on Wednesday, April 20, 2022. Mawson said fire crews arrived on scene and discovered a fire on the porch of the business that involved a propane tank stand with several tanks leaking propane that were on fire. According to Mawson, the propane hazard prompted crews on scene to upgrade the fire to a two-alarm fire. Mawson said no firefighters or civilians were reported injured at the scene, and it took crews about 30 minutes to control the fire.  

Two people were hospitalized following a B-1B Lancer fire at Dyess Air Force Base Wednesday night. A press release from Dyess AFB states the aircraft, "caught fire during routine engine maintenance while parked on the flightline." It's unknown how the two individuals were injured, but they were taken to Hendrick Medical Center South to receive treatment. Their injuries are not considered life threatening. "Ensuring the safety and welfare of all Airmen and members of Team Dyess is top priority for America's Lift and Strike base," the press release explains.  

Two firefighters were injured while battling a 3-alarm blaze at a downtown building in Seymour, authorities said. Fire officials said residents in two apartment buildings next door were evacuated as a precaution. About 13 residents are believed to be displaced, but officials believe they'll be able to return to their homes tonight. Crews said they worked aggressively to put out the fire, which quickly spread because of how old the building is. According to authorities, older buildings tend to hold a lot of heat and if there's a fire, it tends to move fast. About 100 firefighters responded and several nearby fire departments provided mutual aid. Five business owners are displaced as a result of the fire. In the building that was on fire, there was a massage parlor, two antique shops and a barber shop.  

PHOTOS: Public art continues to be a priority in Lakewood, with Shaker Heights-based artist Scott Goss recently completing a mural on the eastern side of Fire Station No. 2. "The basis for the design is incorporating symbols related to fire safety and EMS work as a way to kind of create an immediate connection to the viewer," Goss said. "Then layering that with male and female figures that are kind of working in unison. "It's meant to show firefighters, the collaboration and the community within the fire station itself, as well as their relationship to the neighborhood." Designed to spur conversation and inspire community engagement, the $43,750 project features Corten weathering steel, which was selected to not only survive Northeast Ohio winters, but also to provide a soft, orange matte surface.  

The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded off the tip of Louisiana's Mississippi River delta 12 years ago -- a few minutes before 10 p.m. on April 20, 2010 -- killing 11 rig workers. Two days later, the burning rig sank, snapping the steel piping connected to the blown out oil well and sending crude flowing unfettered into the Gulf of Mexico for 87 days. It was the largest offshore spill in U.S. history. The deadly rig explosion led to an unprecedented federal response, including a six-month deepwater drilling moratorium and a record $4.5 billion in criminal penalties against the oil company, BP. The Deepwater Horizon was a floating mobile drilling rig owned by Transocean and leased by BP to drill the Macondo oil well. There were 126 people on board and the crew had just finished plugging what they called the "well from hell."  

VIDEO: The excitement is in the air over in Vidalia as they get ready for the city's annual Onion Festival that kicks off Thursday. One of the event's main attractions is the air show featuring the United States Navy Blue Angels. While the Blue Angels are in town, some people who were nominated and selected will have the chance to fly with them. Wednesday, a volunteer firefighter from Lyons got the opportunity of a lifetime. While the team is in town, they offer rides in their Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet and the C-130 named "Fat Albert" before their air shows this weekend. It's a once-in-a lifetime experience to fly with a military aerobatic team, like them. Taking the first influencer ride, Wednesday, is Casey Poole. Poole is a volunteer firefighter with the Lyons Fire Department.  

The CDC is now tracking another subvariant of omicron -- BA.2.12.1. BA.2 is still the dominant variant in the U.S., but BA.2.12.1 now accounts for nearly 20% of all new COVID-19 infections in the country, marking a quick increase from the 11% of cases reported last week, according to CDC data. BA.2.12.1 is outpacing BA.2, particularly in central New York state. The New York State Health Department is now urging people in central New York and surrounding regions to take precautions, including getting vaccinated and boosted, and wearing a mask indoors, regardless of vaccination status. Health officials there also believe this latest variant is up to 27% more transmissible than ba.2, which is already more infectious than the original omicron variant. There is no evidence at this time that BA.2.12.1 causes more severe symptoms or disease.