VIDEO: Three people were taken to the hospital after a neighborhood's Fourth of July fireworks show on Lake Conroe went awry. Glen Hall attended the Point Aquarius festivities off Highway 1097 Tuesday night. He said a group of about 30 people were on someone's two-story boat deck popping fireworks. "I saw the deck start lighting up with true fire," Hall said. That was the moment he knew something was not right. The Montgomery County Fire Marshal's Office said residents told them a firework malfunctioned and set off all the fireworks they had for the show on the deck. Hall and Armando Nora, who were at the neighborhood celebration separately, were recording video of the show on their phones and caught the moment the chaos erupted.  

The Smith County Commissioners Court on Wednesday approved the appointment of Tyler Fire Marshal Paul Findley to become the Smith County Fire Marshal. His appointment is effective on July 10, County Judge Neal Franklin said. Findley received unanimous support from the commissioner's court. Findley works for the Tyler Fire Department as Fire Marshal and Public Information Officer. He has spent 26 years in the fire service and earned certifications as a Master Firefighter, Master Fire Inspector, Master Arson Investigator and Fire Instructor with the Texas Commission on Fire Protection. He is also licensed as a Master Peace Officer with more than 16 years in law enforcement and has maintained his paramedic license since the mid 1990s.  

Police across DFW have fielded thousands of calls about illegal fireworks this week. In Arlington, the police and fire departments teamed up to try to respond to as many calls as possible using drones. Sergeant Alex Rosados is a patrol supervisor. He says having the Aviation Unit helps decrease response times and saves manpower. "We have only so many officers out on the streets on July 4th and we need to prioritize the major accidents, DWIs, domestics," he said. "Those are the calls that officers go to first." Rosados says the drones are able to quickly determine risk to people and property and close out calls that do not require an officer or firefighter. We found Arlington Police Department Sergeant Robert Robertson and Arlington Fire Department Captain Eddy Saldivar operating a drone on top of a 15-story office building.  

A retired firefighter was killed in a firework explosion at a venue near Gilmer Tuesday. Investigators said Jared Maddox and several other people were at his business, Firehouse 9 Farm venue, preparing fireworks for a Fourth of July celebration when the incident happened. Maddox helped create memories that would last a lifetime in the same place he tragically lost his life, and now, his memory will live on forever. Jamie Goode is one of many who had the chance to celebrate one of the most special days of her life at Firehouse 9. Goode said it was more than just a business. "He stayed friends with all of his clients. He just made himself part of your family, you wanted to welcome him in," Goode said. Those who knew him said Maddox found joy in helping others including hosting Thanksgiving dinners for those in need.  

Investigators are trying to figure out what caused an explosion that rocked part of a Queens neighborhood on Wednesday. The sounds of screams could be heard between loud pops from a fiery DOT truck parked on the side of the road at Vernon Boulevard and 47th Avenue. People were seen sprinting from the busy Long Island City blocks as emergency crews simultaneously worked to evacuate those nearby and put out the truck. One FDNY lieutenant was spotted ushering people out of neighboring buildings and down the block, away from any potential blast radius. Around 1 p.m., witnesses say one of the DOT crew members was using a fire extinguisher to try and put out the flames that quickly overtook the large vehicle. A pothole repair crew was said to be on a lunch break when they noticed the truck smoking before it eventually caught fire.  

VIDEO: It's a real challenge for some football players at North Carolina Central University who consider themselves in great shape. They got to train like firefighters for the day including running and climbing ladders. "Hey, I'm tired! I'm tired but look, it's a mindset. Mind over matter! Everything in life that you do, mind over matter," said Twan Flip Jr. who is a return specialist for NCCU. On this day, the players tackled one test they won't face on the field. "Our PAT test, Physical Agility Test, so when people come on board, they have to complete this obstacle," said Durham Fire Department Captain Shawn Walls. He describes the challenge in singular terms, but it's a multi-position and location grind that pushes the Eagle athletes extra hard. They're supporting each other here at levels that could make a critical difference on the gridiron.  

VIDEO: Just hours after three people were shot Wednesday morning in South Bend, police revealed paramedics and investigators had a tough time getting close to the victims because of the massive crowd of people. Supporters of a new state law that requires giving officers enough space at crime scenes, which went into effect just days ago, say cases like this are a major reason why a law like this was needed. Overnight, hundreds gathered at a large party on Washington and Walnut. Then shots rang out. Police say there were more than 130 rounds fired by 13 different guns. South Bend Police had to force their way through the crowd. Police say the crowd wouldn't let them get to the scene, raising major concerns as police were slowed to stop the shooting, and medics were unable to get to the three victims quickly.  

VIDEO: Firefighter Cory Asimus regularly gears up to go out on calls. He estimated his air pack weighs between 20-30 pounds. But he hardly feels it on his back these days. Lately, he's taken to wearing a 100-pound rucksack. Then he goes for a run. "Yeah, neighbors have been asking tons of questions like, what kind of training goes into being a firefighter?" said Asimus. In May, he completed a half marathon while wearing the ruck. "Tomorrow I'm doing a 19 miler, and maybe 72 to 96 hours later, I'll do a five to 10 miler," said Asimus. He spent five years in the Marine Corps and completed an IronMan triathlon. In the Cellcom Green Bay half marathon, while carrying 100 extra pounds on his back, he set a world record with a 2:10:30 finish. Now he's gunning for the full marathon record with a 100 pound rucksack of five hours and three minutes.