VIDEO: The City of Lubbock has officially sworn in Richard Stewart as the city's 11th Chief of Lubbock Fire Rescue. Stewart took the oath of office at Citizens Tower. Chief Stewart is taking over for Shaun Fogerson who retired in May. Stewart said he knew from a young age he always wanted to be a firefighter. "My mom took me to an Independence Day parade when I was probably eight years old and I saw a fire engine drive by and knew that's what I wanted to do," Stewart said. Stewart served in the Irving Fire Department for 30 years and said he is honored and excited for the opportunity to lead the Lubbock Fire Department. "I'm first gonna just observe, I'm gonna learn Lubbock Fire and then just focus on just being better and growing everyday," Stewart said. Stewart said it's important to keep the community educated and involved in what the department does.  

VIDEO/PHOTOS: A fire that damaged a house and fence in the Wellborn area on Monday night is now under control. Firefighters from College Station and Brazos County responded to the blaze around 7 pm in the area of Victoria Avenue and Gus Roy Road. A video sent to KBTX shows flames along a fence that separates new homes recently built on Still Water Meadow Loop and the property on Victoria Avenue. Flames consumed a building that is located behind the occupied home on Victora Avenue and Gus Roy Road. It's unclear what started the fire.  

First responders are currently working to put out two small Central Texas wildfires. According to the Texas A&M Forest Service Incident Viewer, the Open Range Fire is burning across 16 acres in Williamson County, at roughly 90% containment. Meanwhile, the Bee Creek Fire is also active in Caldwell County, stretching along 10 acres of land and involving two different structures. This wildfire is 55% contained as of Tuesday morning. These wildfires come as much of the KVUE viewing area is under a "high" to "very high" fire danger risk Tuesday, according to the Forest Service. No additional details are available at this time.  

Six members of the Longview Fire Department's water rescue team are being deployed to Alabama in preparation of Hurricane Milton's incoming landfall. According to the fire department, the team members were activated by the Texas Task Force on Monday as Milton gains strength in the Gulf of Mexico. On Monday, the storm became a Category 5 hurricane and it's forecasted to land in Florida. The team will head to Alabama and wait for further instructions. Two other members of the Longview Fire Department are on standby for the Emergency Medical Task Force. One team member remains activated and assisting with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene that impacted parts of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. "Please keep these members in your thoughts and prayers for a safe deployment as well as the citizens in the affected area," the Longview Fire Department.  

A massive multi-alarm fire destroyed a Catholic school building in Springfield Township, Delaware County. The call came in around 5 p.m. Monday for flames showing from the St. Francis of Assisi School, which is located on Saxer Avenue. Chopper 6 was overhead as plumes of heavy smoke billowed from the roof of the building. Firefighters knocked down the bulk of the fire but remained on the scene Monday night to extinguish any hotspots. The school was founded in 1929 and serves students from Pre-K to 8th grade. "At this time, the fire appears controlled to one building. All classes at the school will be cancelled for at least tomorrow. Efforts are already underway to locate an alternate learning location for those who will be affected by the loss of classroom space," said a spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in a statement.  

VIDEO: Three people died after a medical helicopter crashed in northern Kentucky, and a report from the Federal Aviation Administration has released information about what may have happened. The crash happened around 5:37 p.m., in Owen County, near State Route 22, about two miles north of Owen County High School. The helicopter that crashed was with Air Evac Lifeteam 133, out of Williamstown, Kentucky. Kentucky State Police identified the victims of the crash as Gale Alleman, Bethany Aicken, and James Welsh. A report from the FAA says the helicopter struck a guy wire, a tension cable that gives stability to freestanding structures. It then crashed and caught on fire.  

Charlotte Fire Department officials said they have a plan to improve rescues and avoid fires like the SouthPark blaze that killed two workers trapped on an upper floor. CFD Chief Reginald Johnson on Monday presented an after-action report of the five-alarm SouthPark fire to the Charlotte City Council's Housing, Safety and Community Committee. It detailed what went wrong in May 2023 and what the department needs to do to prevent a similar incident. The SouthPark fire, which reached 2,000 degrees, occurred at a seven-story, mid-rise building with five stories of wooden construction, no fire suppression systems and no drywall, Johnson said. The building was under construction at the time. As construction across Charlotte shows no signs of slowing down, Johnson said the department is making necessary changes to prevent deadly construction fires.  

VIDEOS: The Tropicana Las Vegas is just days away from joining the list of Las Vegas hotels that have been blown up over the years. At 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9, the implosion button will be pressed to bring down the historic resort's two hotel towers. They're expected to collapse within a matter of seconds, according to recent information from Bally's Corporation, which owns the hotel. Much has been said about the Tropicana's storied history in the months leading up to its impending demise. But the resort will be in good company as it joins the growing list of Las Vegas landmarks that now exist only in our memories. We combed through Channel 13's archives to find videos of the moments some of those properties were turned to rubble.