Local data shows Williamson and northern Travis counties are experiencing more wild and grass fires so far in 2022 than in the same time frame during any of the last five years. This fire season is headlined by the San Gabriel Fire that burned about 450 acres in late July just north of Leander. Figures from Travis County Emergency Services District No. 2 and Williamson County Emergency Management show 630 wild and grass fires occurred within the first six months this year. The last time those numbers were close to that figure was in 2018, when both jurisdictions combined saw 484 wild and grass fires. As record heat and months of dry conditions persist, area firefighters and weather and climate experts maintain the situation could get worse. "Everyone at every level is trying to do what they can to prepare for the next [fire], and it's not going to stop until we get some rain and until the temperatures change," said James Mallinger, Cedar Park Fire Department chief.  

VIDEO: The Iowa Park Fire Department hosted a 9/11 remembrance walk at Gordon Lake on Sunday. The first responders gathered together for a moment of silence before walking the lake's trail four times in honor of fallen 9/11 heroes. Andy Payne, Iowa Park FD fire chief, said the second annual walk is a way to remember their fallen brothers and sisters. "It's fading, I think a lot of people have forgotten what happened on September 11," Payne said. "It's very important to me. I remember the exact time and date where I was when this happened, and I think it should be ongoing forever. I mean, it was a tragedy in our country and I think we should remember everybody that was involved." Payne said as new firefighters come on board, he hopes they'll be able to understand the tradition and continue on the legacy of remembering the first responders who didn't come home that day.  

A Lubbock woman was arrested and accused of setting a building on fire in the 1500 block of 34th street on Tuesday, September 6, according to the Lubbock Police Department. According to the police report, witnesses saw Cassandra Ramirez, 38, at the scene of the fire in a pink robe or blanket "dragging a couch into the fire." LPD found Ramirez wondering near a skate park in the 3500 block of Avenue L and when officers asked her about the fire, she told them she was trying to put it out with wooden pallets and dirt according to the police report. According to the owner of the building, homeless people frequent the alley behind the building. According to the police report, Ramirez told officers she was glad the building burned down and found a lighter in her possession. A witness told LPD Ramirez was laughing while the fire was being put out.  

The Crandall Fire Department will host a community push-in ceremony for the department's new engine on Saturday. The ceremony will be held on Saturday, September 17, 2022, at 10 a.m. at the Crandall Fire Department - Kaufman County ESD Station No. 1 located at 106 E. Trunk Street in Crandall. "We would like to invite the community to join the Crandall Fire Department and Kaufman County ESD #7 ... for a traditional fire service ceremony as we put our new Pierce Crandall Engine 1 officially into service," read a statement from the department. The Crandall Fire Department took delivery of the engine earlier this year, according to Pierce, which manufactured the engine. The new engine boasts a 750 gallon tank size, at 1,500 gallons per minute, on a pumper body and Enforcer chassis. The engine is also equipped with a 20-gallon Husky3 foam cell.  

Firefighters have extinguished a grass fire that was burning Monday afternoon in Burleson County in the area of FM 60 and FM 50. The Snook Volunteer Fire Department was providing updates on the department's Facebook page. Firefighters say it started as a controlled burn that got out of control. Currently, there is no burn ban in effect for the county. Firefighters from Somerville and Brazos County Precincts 4 and 2 Volunteer Fire Departments were also assisting with the situation.  

PHOTO: A pilot has died and a passenger is in critical condition after a small plane crashed Monday afternoon in Waller County, the Texas Department of Public Safety said. The two-seat, single-engine plane nose-dived and folded over on itself in a field near Waller Gladish and Howell Road after possibly experiencing mechanical issues, according to Lt. Craig Cummings, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety. Cummings said the plane's engine had dislodged during the crash. Cummings said the two men were both flown to Memorial Hermann Hospital via Life Flight in critical condition. The pilot, Harding Rome from Houston, was later pronounced dead. Cummings thanked the Waller County Sheriff's Office, EMS and fire department for actively responding to the scene and helping law enforcement.  

Firefighters engaged a massive 5-Alarm fire at an unknown commercial building in Riverside County Monday afternoon. The fire was first reported at around 1:30 p.m. 22000 block of Opportunity Way where it quickly grew to engulf more than 10 acres of cardboard, outside storage area and other materials by 3 p.m. According to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department, the flames were approximately 15 feet to 25 feet high. One firefighter was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment on non-life-threatening injuries suffered during the incident. A hard road closure was issued on Opportunity Way between Van Buren Boulevard and Meridian Parkway, according to firefighters.  

PHOTOS: Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Sunday marked the next chapter that will allow firefighters, police and other first responders to prepare for emergencies without leaving Carbon County. The rain also didn't stop various fire companies, law enforcement agencies, elected officials, friends and family from gathering on the Broad Mountain in Nesquehoning to ring in and celebrate the nearly complete Emergency Operations Training Center. The $10 million center has been in the works for over a decade. Fittingly, the new center was named after a firefighter with over a half century of experience, who was a driving force for the project. The Carbon County Firemen's Association officially named the new center after Commissioners' Chairman Wayne E. Nothstein.  

Firefighting is an occupation that comes with inherent risks. In addition to the physical demands, there are also health risks associated with the job. For instance, the rate at which firefighters develop cancer outpaces the general population by 9 percent, and their risk of dying from cancer is 14 percent higher, according to a study published by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). It turns out, though, that some of the equipment used to keep firefighters safe also puts them at risk. Firefighters rely on turnout gear and other personal protective equipment, such as a breathing apparatus, to keep them safe when battling flames, high temperatures, smoke and other elements associated with firefighting. Firefighting turnout gear is manufactured with fluorine, one of the compounds that makes the gear heat-resistant and waterproof. When fluorine is combined with carbon compounds the union creates "forever chemicals."  

The bills are expected to help and support New Yorkers "whose lives were transformed on that terrible day." In remembrance of the 21st anniversary of 9/11, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul today signed five pieces of legislation that officials believe will provide support to 9/11 victims, survivors and their families. "New Yorkers will never forget the horrific events of September 11, 2001 -- and we will never forget the bravery and sacrifice of the civilians and first responders who lives were forever changed," Hochul said. "As we mark the twenty-first anniversary of the terror attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania, I am honored to sign these five new laws that will support and honor those whose lives were transformed on that terrible day." One bill establishes a simplified alternative method for Victim Compensation Fund awards, consisting solely of non-economic losses such as emotional damages.  

PHOTOS: A Whitewater firefighter is coming up on a major milestone in his career, as he will hit 50 years of service before he retires next summer. You can usually find Terry Phelps behind the wheel of a fire truck. "I grew up on the fire department," Phelps said. "My dad was on for 25 years." Service is in Phelps' blood. He was 21 years old when he decided to join the department and join in his dad's footsteps. He is now 71 years old and one of his daughters works with the Sun Prairie Fire Department. "I remember when I first got on. It's been a good ride," Phelps said. He's now closing in on 50 years of service and will retire next summer. It's been a long career for him, but as a volunteer he's said it's more of a passion of his than anything else. "It's an adrenaline rush of some sorts, but it's kept me going in retirement," Phelps said.