VIDEO: A teen boy was arrested for driving under the influence after he crashed a Tesla Model X, catching the car and a gas station on fire early Thursday morning, according to police. Shortly before 1:30 a.m., first responders arrived at a major crash at Exposition Boulevard and Westover Road. Police say the teen hit a traffic light pole and a gas pump, before escaping the Tesla which erupted in flames. Firefighters say the fire damaged the gas station awning, but that the building did not suffer significant damage.  

Two people were sent to the hospital after a fire at a home in the 100 block of Bentwood Drive early Thursday morning. The fire was reported around 2:30 a.m. with Robinson and Waco Fire crews responding. Two occupants of the home were taken to the hospital but condition remains unknown, officials said. A dog was also found dead inside, officials said. Fire officials will continue to investigate the cause of the fire.  

VIDEO: Midland Fire Department responded to a structure fire that burned three buildings in the 1600 block of Walnut Lane on Wednesday night, according to a City of Midland spokesperson. The fire started as an exterior fire, then went up a tree and spread to three structures. One two-story is a total loss, one single-story has minor damage and a third single-story has minimal to no damage. At last update, the fire was out and crews were putting out hot spots. No injuries have been reported.  

Bandera County Fire Marshal John Stith recently submitted his letter of resignation, effective August 31, 2021. "I'd like to give thanks to all the commissioners for supporting me as well as they've done and to the county residents who put their trust in me to promote safety in the county," said Stith. Stith, who plans to remain in the county as a retired citizen after spending 10 years in his position, says the decision comes with mixed emotions. "It's a love/hate thing. I'm happy, and I'm sad. I love my job. The people in Bandera County support me and law enforcement incredibly well. I'm gonna miss that," he said. "I'll still be around. I'll just be in a different set of clothes." Replacing volunteer fire marshal Ralph Dresser in 2011, Stith said having a full time position gave him the ability to ramp up license inspections, mandate more code enforcement, investigate arson and meet all the needs of the county residents.  

The Tall City 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb is returning to Midland for the 20th anniversary of the national tragedy. Last year's event was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns. The annual event honors the first responders who died on September 11, 2001. Participants climb 110 floors, carrying a name of a first responder that lost their life in the twin towers. The Professional Firefighters Association of Midland puts on the event to raise money for a benevolent fund for first responders in need and to carry on the memory of those who lost their lives. "I think it's a reminder of those of us who were alive at the time. But I think there's a whole other generation of kids right now that weren't alive, that it's nothing but something out of the history books for them," said .  

Tuesday night the White Oak City Council voted to approve next year's budget, and it includes something that will help keep White Oak residents safe for years to come: A new fire engine. White Oak Fire Chief Jimmy Purcell said their main fire engine was built in 1998 and it's time for an update. "It's our engine that rolls out first to take care of the citizens of White Oak," Purcell said. Purcell said these days fire engines are custom built. "It's in the process of being designed. We picked which one will be suitable for White Oak. Now we have to go through it and spec it out with what the guys want," he said. The Emory Fire Department has the same model built by Siddons-Martin Pierce who has a service center in Longview.  

A firefighter with the Osceola County Fire Rescue is in the hospital after being struck in the head with an ax while caring for a patient, the Osceola County Sheriff's Office said. Personnel from Station 62 were dispatched to a home in Kissimmee Wednesday after receiving a call of a woman having trouble breathing, according to a news release. Investigators said the victim was administering treatment to the woman when the attack happened. The woman's son came out of the home with an ax and hit the victim in the head with it, records show. The fire rescue personnel was taken to the hospital. Investigators said the fire rescue personnel "is in stable condition" but did not say how badly the victim was hurt. Osceola County Fire Rescue public information officer Andrew Sullivan said the firefighter will be kept overnight for observation.  

A Prince George's County home was evacuated Thursday morning after a fire during the early morning hours. The fire was reported around 5:45 a.m. in the 12000 block of Aspenwood Lane in the Laurel area. Officials say the fire has extended through roof of the home and that the house has been evacuated. The cause of the fire is under investigation.  

PHOTO: Kids look up to Smokey Bear and his important fire-prevention messaging. Now they'll also get the chance to look up – way up – at Smokey's familiar face and trademark hat Aug. 19-21 during the U.P. State Fair in Escanaba. The New Mexico-based hot air balloon made in Smokey Bear's image will ascend on a tether several times near the Michigan Department of Natural Resources' Pocket Park during the fair. "Smokey Bear is an icon in his 77th year of telling people how to prevent forest fires," said Paul Rogers, DNR fire prevention specialist. "This balloon is a pretty impressive sight." How impressive? The balloon – known as a "special shape" because of its unique contours: Holds 145,000 cubic feet of hot air; Is 97 feet tall, including the basket; Measures 72 feet across at Smokey's hat brim; and Is made of 4,670 square yards of nylon and takes 12 to 15 people for setup and inflating.  

PHOTOS: The original Bellport Fire House was built in 1893 on South Country Road. In 1937, it was moved to the rear lot facing Woodruff Street to make way for the new updated building. By 1975, when it was time to expand, the building was either to be demolished or moved. Luckily, for the history buffs, the fire department was able to have it moved to a leveled lot in the historic district of the village on Bell Street, the former site of a historical barn, which had been moved to the Bellport Brookhaven Historical Society property just across the way. The land is now leased from the village at no cost to the department through a shared service agreement. "The history of the Bellport Fire Department is part of the history of Bellport Village," said Bellport Village mayor Ray Fell, describing the site as an asset.  

More than 98% of US residents now live in an area where there is a "high" or "substantial" risk of COVID-19 community transmission, up from 19% of residents only a month ago. This sharp turn has been driven in large part by the highly infectious Delta variant and low vaccination rates in many regions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) measures community transmission using two metrics -- the number of cases per 100,000 people and the test positivity rate, both measured over the previous seven days. The latest figures from the CDC show an alarming rise in the number of counties that are considered at high risk of community transmission. On Monday, 2,361 counties in the United States were listed in the "high" tier, a stark increase from 457 counties in the same tier at the beginning of July.