Emergency responders were called to the 6700 block of Fox Road in Hockley County due to a fire Wednesday morning. The fire is between Smyer and Ropesville just east of FM 168. The fire was reported around 10:45 a.m. Hockley County Sheriff Ray Scifres says one person died in the fire. Officials are working to identify the person. The State Fire Marshal's office is en route to investigate the cause of the fire. Wolfforth Fire, West Carlisle Fire, Levelland Fire, and possibly others have been called to the area.  

Four people are recovering in the hospital after escaping a house fire in southwest Houston Wednesday, officials with the Houston Fire Department said. HFD responded to a report of a house on fire with people trapped inside in the 11400 block of Plumbrook around 2:20 a.m. Firefighters said when they arrived at the scene, they found four people that self-evacuated from a home that was on fire. According to firefighters, the four people, who consisted of two adults and two teens, were transported to area hospitals in stable condition. The patients were suffering from smoke inhalation and lacerations, HFD said. Firefighters said there was moderate smoke showing from the house and crews were able to get the fire under control fairly quickly. It is unclear where the fire started, investigators said.  

The strong line of storms that pushed through North Texas Tuesday morning may have spawned a tornado or two between Sansom Park and the North Richland Hills area. At 8:11 a.m. Tornado Warnings were issued in Fort Worth, Arlington and North Richland Hills. The National Weather Service said four minutes later that a radar-confirmed tornado was spotted with debris in Sansom Park and River Oaks, moving northeast. According to the North Richland Hills Police, firefighters reported seeing rotation in a storm at about 8:15 a.m. At 8:17 a.m. the storm continued moving through Tarrant County and the NWS warned those in Saginaw, Blue Mound, Haltom City, and North Fort Worth to take shelter.  

Due to recent false alarms, residents of a far Northwest Side apartment complex doubted the validity of a fire at a nail salon that is attached to the building, the San Antonio Fire Department said. The fire was called in around 5:30 a.m. Wednesday at Fantasia Nail Bar in the 5800 block of Worthy Parkway, which is found at the Tribute at the Rim Apartments. Firefighters said the fire broke out inside a back room of the nail salon that is attached to the apartment building. The fire was contained to only one room and it was knocked down quickly, fire officials said. Authorities say the fire started in a tub of body wax. The fire set off the sprinkler system, but because wax floats on water it stayed on fire and then spread to some nearby boxes, firefighters said. The fire triggered the alarm to the apartment complex, waking, but not alarming residents.  

None of us want to call 911 but we're happy they are there to answer the phone and it's the same for the thousands of people who work and live on Fort Hood. The difference is it takes place on a massive military installation. "Behind the scenes, there is a lot of stuff that is different but what the public sees is seamless," said Jennifer Rounds, deputy chief of police on Fort Hood. "They get the same response regardless of the uniform." Each call starts in the same place, a 911 dispatcher located on the post. "The major difference is the military factor," said Bobby Virgen-Sims, dispatch supervisor on Fort Hood. "We have post regulations that we have to follow. We have different things that are set in addition to laws that we have to follow." Fort Hood is a massive place so first responders rely heavily on dispatch to coordinate all needed resources.  

Two families who lost everything in an apartment fire last week in the Spring Branch area will still get to celebrate Christmas. Members with the Houston Fire Department collected gifts for the families, who received the donations on Monday, just in time for the holiday. The fire happened at the La Serena at Spring Branch Apartments on Wirt Road and Long Point last Tuesday at about 10:47 p.m. Video from the scene showed large flames coming out of the roof of the building. The building was visibly charred with holes in the siding after the flames were extinguished. No firefighters were injured, but three children were taken to the hospital. We're told that one family of five with three young children has since moved in with relatives. The other family, a mother and her three daughters, are now living in a hotel.  

Evidence, including DNA and items collected from crime scenes, dating back up to 30 years may have been destroyed in a 3-alarm fire that overtook a New York City Police Department storage facility in Brooklyn. Eight people suffered minor injuries, fire officials said. The blaze erupted around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Erie Basin Auto Pound, a facility in Brooklyn's Red Hook neighborhood where the NYPD stores evidence, FDNY Chief of Department John Hodgens said in a press conference. According to NYPD Chief Jeffrey Maddrey, the building was a police department pound that stored "a lot of biological evidence" as well as e-bikes and cars. "DNA, things from past crimes, burglaries, shooting incidents, we have some biological evidence here as well," Maddrey said at the press conference.  

Firefighters face risks every time they respond to a call, including possible long-term dangers to their health. But the current leading cause of death among firefighters may come as a surprise. According to the International Association of Firefighters, heart disease was the former leading cause of death among firefighters. But that has now been displaced by occupational cancer, with 74 percent of the deaths added to the IAFF's Memorial Wall each year directly attributed to cancer. "It's not going to be surprising to firefighters," said Chad Davis, the President of the local IAFF with around 350 members across southwest Missouri. "We understand that our job is inherently dangerous, and what we've learned over the years is occupational cancer is now the number one danger."  

PHOTOS: In lieu of a sleigh and reindeer, Santa and Mrs. Claus — Boston Fire Department lieutenants by day — rode a firetruck to Shriners Children's Boston hospital to deliver holiday cheer Tuesday. About 30 children peered out the hospital windows as the Clauses inched closer in the bucket of a fire ladder. The Boston Firefighters Burn Foundation, a charity run by firefighters, has hosted the Christmas event for 20 years, outside of 2020, according to foundation director Steve Turley. The foundation provides emotional and financial support to those with burn injuries, including children at Shriners Children's Boston. "Usually, firefighters will respond for some sort of rescue," Turley said. "When it comes to Shriners Hospital, it's always love to the rescue." After Mr. and Mrs. Claus — also known as Robert McGrath and Sheila Leahy — waved to the children from the ladder, they climbed down, put on surgical masks, and went inside to meet with children one-on-one.  

Subaru's latest recall affects nearly every one of its family-hauling Ascent SUV. The issue stems from the electrical system and could lead to a fire. Included in the population are model-year 2019-22 Ascents. The ground bolt that secures the ground terminal of the positive temperature coefficient heater in the wiring under the dashboard may have been improperly fastened, which could result in melting of the ground terminal and surrounding components, increasing the risk of a fire. Owners are advised to park their Ascent away from structures and to avoid leaving it unattended while the engine is running. If you notice or smell smoke coming from the dash or driver footwell area, stop operating the vehicle and turn the ignition switch off. Dealers will replace the PTC heater ground bolts and, if necessary, replace the ground wire and connector holder; all repairs will be done for free.