PHOTO: Amarillo fire crews were out early Thursday morning as an under-construction home burned. Crews say they went to the 8400 block of Shadywood Drive around 5:40 a.m. When they got to the area, they found fire at a home coming from the garage into the second floor. Using an aerial ladder - and with the support of eight total engines, crews started their attack from above before entering the home and finishing from there. 40 minutes after the first engine arrived, crews called the fire under control. Nobody was hurt and fire officials are still investigating. The blaze is estimated to have caused $500,000 of damage.  

The Bryan Fire Department saw a near-record high of 911 incidents this year, with approximately 15,000 calls for service. Trends like this put significant strain on first responders, especially when non-emergency situations keep them bogged down. they happen "A lot of people are using the ER as their primary doctor,"said Chris Lamb, a Bryan firefighter-paramedic. "That's been a big issue with the ER surge we've heard about in the United States. And that is a real issue. So my job is to go out and help get them to the appropriate resource that will fix the problem they have." Lamb serves as the lone employee running the Bryan Fire Department's new community paramedic program. Last month, at the direction of BFD Chief Rich Giusti, Lamb started his work in reducing the amount of phone calls to 911.  

A new program could help get dozens of new firefighters on the streets of Laredo. A new partnership between Laredo College and the Laredo Fire Department is providing future fire officials with the tools they need to put the fires out. Laredo College has joined forces with the Laredo Fire Department to offer a degree in fire science. The program will help many in the Gateway City get the certification they need to jump start their career. Dean of Workforce Education Heriberto Hernandez says the program was recently approved by the Laredo College Board of Trustees. Hernandez says this is one step those looking to suit up can take. Hernandez says, "And the other one would be for those who already are a part of a fire department or currently serving in a fire service capacity and that will be too upscale their current skills tailored for the management side."  

Tyler firefighters avoided serious injury and were able to rescue several people when a floor collapsed at a fire in a vacant downtown building on Wednesday morning. Tyler Fire Marshal Paul Findley said the building, once known as the Tysen House and used by the Salvation Army as an 83-room hotel for the homeless, was supposed to be vacant but had occupants inside. The building is located at the corner of East Erwin Street and Thompson Street. The portion which collapsed was a 10-foot deep pit, Findley said. Findley said four firefighters fell through the floor and into the pit, which was filled with water. The fire marshal said the firefighters had to swim to get out of the pit and added that a mayday was called. Firefighters used a ladder to help occupants out of the second floor. One of the occupants was taken to a hospital for smoke inhalation.  

Three Flower Mound Fire Department personnel are currently deployed in the Texas Panhandle as part of the state's emergency response to several large wildfires. FMFD Capt. Aaron Moore, Capt. Wade Woody and Firefighter Mark Kubena were deployed Friday as part of a Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System strike team assisting with the response to the Twin Creek Fire, a 3,600-acre fire in Moore County that was extinguished a couple days ago. Crews remained in Amarillo in anticipation of forecast extreme fire weather, and they were moved Thursday morning to the town of Canadian, according to Brandon Barth, FMFD spokesman. On Wednesday, the FMFD members and their strike team were deployed to the North 207 Fire in Carson County, which is an estimated 4,000 acres and 0% contained, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.  

It's been a busy couple of days for firefighters in College Station. The department has responded to several calls for help that came close to becoming disasters for residents and families at apartment complexes, an agency spokesman confirms. On Friday, December 10th, firefighters responded to a grease fire inside an apartment in the 2500 block of Dartmouth Street. Firefighters were able to contain the fire to the stove area. A resident of the apartment was treated for a burn to the hand and arm. Nobody else was injured. There was no damage to the structure, said Captain Stuart Marrs. On Sunday night, firefighters responded to an apartment complex on Marion Pugh near George Bush Drive after a resident lit a fire in the fireplace with the flue damper still closed. Firefighters also responded to smoke in an apartment Tuesday night in a complex on Harvey Road near Texas Avenue.  

VIDEO: Three people were killed late Wednesday night after a fire truck collided with an SUV and crashed into a building in Westport. A Kansas City Fire Department truck was heading northbound on Broadway Boulevard near Westport Road on the way to a house fire shortly after 10 p.m. The fire truck then collided with a Honda CRV that was traveling westbound on Westport Road. Both vehicles ended up crashing into the building housing the former Riot Room music venue. The man and woman inside the SUV died, along with a woman who was on-foot at the scene. That pedestrian's body was pulled from the building's rubble shortly before 8 a.m. Thursday following an extensive recovery effort. "It's been complicated by the fact that the building is very unstable and presents a risk to rescuers," said Sgt. Bill Mahoney with the Kansas City Police Department.  

VIDEO: A fire helmet is a piece of equipment firefighters use every day. But the helmets can't be used forever. "These helmets, they have about a 10-year shelf life," Shanen French, Founder of Lids For Kids, said. "At 10 years, regardless of if it's new, used, or whatever, we have to figure out a way to repurpose it. In the past, we were just discarding them. We wanted to repurpose them, recycle them." Fire helmets are now recycled into the Lids For Kids program. The program gifts a personalized and autographed fire helmet, and a day as an honorary firefighter, to special individuals. It began in 2014, and as of Wednesday, has now honored 50 kids who are living life with challenges. The Lids For Kids 50th recipient is Michael Southerland. "I am happy to be a firefighter," Michael said. "I've wanted to be a firefighter forever."  

Firefighters were temporarily trapped after multiple power poles reportedly snapped and fell over in front of Hobby Lobby at Frisco Station Mall in Rogers, Ark., causing stoplights to be out all along Walnut Street Wednesday afternoon. Witnesses say they believe strong winds caused the accident. "Around lunchtime today Engine 4 was traveling down Walnut Street when several utility poles broke and dropped live electrical wires on the fire truck, trapping the crew. With the assistance of Southwestern Electric Power Company – SWEPCO technicians the firefighters were able to quickly disentangle the apparatus and escaped uninjured," according to a Facebook post by the Rogers Fire Department. SWEPCO is reporting about 3,000 customers without power. At this time there is no estimated time for repair.  

Join the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) for a special video salute to our nation's fallen firefighters. America's Tribute to Fallen Firefighters, a 1-hour tribute video, features both the Candlelight and Memorial ceremonial events from this year's NFFF 40th Anniversary Memorial Weekend. America's Tribute to Fallen Firefighters will premiere on Sunday, December 19th, at 7:00 pm Eastern time, 4:00 pm Pacific time on the NFFF Facebook Channel and on YouTube at NFFFTV. Hosted by CBS News Anchor Norah O'Donnell, the program recognizes heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty serving their communities and their country. Eighty-seven firefighters died in the line of duty in 2020. Eighty-two firefighters died in 2019. Forty-six firefighters who died in the line of duty in previous years were also honored.