Monday evening, Oct. 10, the Waco Fire Department responded to a call about a large commercial fire near Imperial Drive. Firefighters were responding to another call when were dispatched to the fire, and were reportedly on the scene less than a minute after the call was placed. The fire took place at the Sunbright Recycling Plant at 701-A Texas Central Parkway, where large piles of material were ablaze. The department upgraded the fire to a 2nd Alarm soon after. A 2nd Alarm fire is one that requires multiple vehicles, equipment, and personnel to handle, but is not considered catastrophic. Lt. Keith Guillory of the Waco Fire Department said that units responded to the fire at 6:43 p.m., and that 15 units were on the scene at the time of his statement, including multiple vehicles and chief officers. Later on that number would increase to about 45 personnel.  

VIDEO: Family, friends, coworkers and community members gathered at the Rita Blanca Coliseum in Dalhart for the funeral services of Dalhart Fire Chief Curtis Brown and Firefighter Brendan Torres. Brown and Curtis were killed on Tuesday, Oct.4 as they were returning from a scene when they were involved in a head-on crash involving a truck tractor towing a semi-trailer. As detailed in previous reports, DPS said that the truck tractor appeared to have crashed into a fire department vehicle while trying to pass an unknown vehicle. 51-year-old Brown had been with the department for 28 years and 19-year-old Torres had been with the department since June 2021. "I think that Chief Brown had worked this department long enough and the department has a great respect amongst other departments in the Panhandle and across the state of Texas, and a lot of that is attributed to the leadership of Chief Brown," said Paul Duthcer, Perrytown Fire Chief.  

VIDEO: No injuries reported after a fire broke out at a Beaumont apartment complex in the city's North End. It happened Monday evening at Northridge Manor, located at 4555 Maida Road in Beaumont. The call came in around 7:30 p.m. Crews worked quickly to contain the flames and limit damage. There are 150 units total at the complex, according to the Beaumont Housing Authority. Resident Wayne Pickett thinks he likely lost everything in the fire. "I thank God we made it. Everybody out safe, everybody around safe. I know God got us," he said. An on-site supervisor tells 12News the damage appears to be limited to only two units. Investigators are working to figure out how the fire started.  

Last week, City Council's Mobility Committee learned about the regional response and evacuation plan that would go into effect in the event of a wildfire. "Wildfires know no boundaries and looking at what we're doing in terms of coordination, we're working across those jurisdictional boundaries," said Jim Dale, assistant director of the Transportation Department. "The boundaries not just within the city itself between departments but also with agencies here in the region." Transportation is one of four city agencies charged with responding to a wildfire emergency, along with Austin Fire, Austin Police, and Homeland Security and Emergency Management. The presentation followed the city's current wildfire evacuation plan, which begins with Austin Fire.  

PHOTOS: Some lucky kids over at Refugio Elementary School had a special experience today. The Refugio Volunteer Fire Department paid a few pre-k and kindergarten classes a visit to give them a fire safety lesson this morning. Students were able to handle the fire truck's water hose, and even got to try on the chief's gear. The presentation and visit were a part of the RVFD's observance of the 100th annual National Fire Prevention Week, which began Oct. 9 and continues until Oct. 15. It was initiated by the National Fire Protection Association in 1922 to commemorate the Chicago Fire of October 9, 1871. This year, the theme of Fire Prevention Week is "Fire won't wait. Plan your escape."  

The Uvalde Volunteer Fire Department found a new calling in the wake of the tragedy that happened at Robb Elementary: raising funds for the surviving families. And the purpose? So these families can afford to stay home with their children as they continue to recover. The fire department worked to identify injured students the day of the shooting, and eventually built relationships with 15 of the families they helped. Since then, the fire department set out to raise more than $4,000 for each of those families. After word of the fundraiser got around, the total donations ballooned to $15,000 for each family. "It has been an extremely huge blessing, the fire department has just gone out of its way to help us," said Ruben Torres, father of a Robb Elementary survivor. "I'll never forget everything they've done for us."  

Monday evening, Oct. 10, the Waco Fire Department responded to a call about a large commercial fire near Imperial Drive. Firefighters were responding to another call when they were dispatched to the fire, and were reportedly on the scene less than a minute after the call was placed. The fire took place at the Sunbright Recycling Plant at 701-A Texas Central Parkway, where large piles of material were ablaze. The department upgraded the fire to a 2nd Alarm soon after. A 2nd Alarm fire is one that requires multiple vehicles, equipment, and personnel to handle, but is not considered catastrophic. Lt. Keith Guillory of the Waco Fire Department said that units responded to the fire at 6:43 p.m., and that 15 units were on the scene at the time of his statement, including multiple vehicles and chief officers.  

A dream became a reality Monday for one brave 7-year-old in Hanover County. Javi Guzman anxiously waited for his Make-A-Wish day for months due to the pandemic. Now, he is officially sworn in as the newest and youngest addition to the Hanover County firehouse. "He's been waiting for this day to come," his mom, Amy Guzman said. "Every time a siren goes past our house, he always runs outside." "As a little boy, I remember all the time when he was little, he said ‘I wanna be a firefighter one day' and I said ‘well, you have to work hard, one day you will,'" his dad Martin Guzman said. His wish was granted in a special ceremony and day of adventure, thanks to Make-A-Wish. "It was an easy yes without even having to consider it," Hanover Fire Chief Jethro Piland said. "Javi is truly an inspiration to us with his courageous and brave behavior."  

VIDEO: A heroic story tonight, one woman went from taking care of someone trapped in a car after a car wreck, to welcoming her new born baby. All in the span of 24 hours. Megan Warfield splits her time serving others and volunteering at the Bowleys Quarters Volunteer Fire and Rescue and working as a firefighter at Baltimore County Fire Department. Lately, she's been on administrative duty awaiting the birth of her third child, but that hasn't slowed down her need to help others. On Monday, Warfield and her mother had just finished hosting an annual golf tournament in remembrance of her father. Right as they were heading home, they found themselves in the middle of a multi-car crash. "After every vehicle kind of stopped, I made sure my mom was okay because she was driving and I realized that the car in front of us had flipped and that there was someone trapped inside," said Warfield.  

PHOTOS: Did you know Birmingham has a firetruck museum? The Southern Vintage Fire Apparatus Association (SVFAA) hosts the Birmingham firetruck museum with over 70 vintage firetrucks. Keep reading to see how to enjoy this hidden gem in the heart of The Magic City. I had the chance to visit the SVFAA warehouse during their latest open firetruck museum event. I was instantly greeted by friendly volunteers and was filled with awe as I looked further inside of the warehouse which was full of beautiful vintage firetrucks and other fire-related equipment. The SVFAA is the southern division of The Society for the Preservation and Appreciation of Antique Motor Fire Apparatus in America (SPAAMFAA) which was founded in New York in 1957. SVFAA was founded in 1976 and moved to Birmingham in 2007.