VIDEO: The Austin Fire Department is celebrating the life of a 23-year veteran and first responder who also worked at Ground Zero. Battalion Chief Travis Maher died last week after battling stage-four stomach cancer. AFD came together Tuesday to honor the life of Maher. The AFD veteran was one of ten people sent to Ground Zero in New York immediately following the 9/11 terror attacks. "I genuinely believe that the bonds we formed at Ground Zero were exactly what led to Travis being so instrumental in setting up joint training opportunities that we still continue today between the San Antonio and the Austin Fire Departments," said Chief Nim Kidd of the Texas Division of Emergency Management. Maher worked in the debris, saving survivors and, as a result, was exposed to deadly carcinogens.  

A special luncheon was held in honor of Corpus Christi Fire Chief Robert Rocha and his retirement. Aside from working with the city's fire department, Chief Rocha also served as chairman with City of Corpus Christi-Nueces County Local Emergency Planning Committee. The group focuses on emergency response planning for potential chemical or hazardous material spills. Chief Rocha held these meetings for the last 11 years and held his final one on Tuesday. "I'm happy that I leave the organization in a better position than when I found it," Chief Rocha said. "And I'm very happy for the future of the county, future of the city, working together with our industry partners and our community to make Corpus Christi a safe place to be." Chief Rocha's final day with the city is Jan. 20.  

VIDEO: An investigation is underway after a Tuesday morning fire destroyed a home in Orange County. Emergency crews responded to the 8500 block of Thomas Drive around 11:30 a.m. after receiving a call about a house fire near Bridge City. Firefighters arrived at the scene to find a house fully involved in flames. Orange County ESD 2 worked to put out the flames and firefighters from Orange County ESD 3 and the West Orange Fire Department helped. Two dogs were rescued from the flames. Firefighters were able to put out the fire, but the house was destroyed. No injuries were reported, but the devastating fire displaced four adults. Firefighters suspect that the fire started in the garage.  

As College Station continues to grow, so does the need for first responders. Lately, the College Station Fire Department has noticed a decline in people choosing to become firefighters or EMTs. Ben Suttey is one of the newest members of the College Station Fire Department, he joined back in October. "I served some time in the Marines and got out and then was trying to find a profession with cohesion and brotherhood that the military carried," said Suttey. "That's what I found here and you really can't find that anymore." Right now, Suttey is a paramedic and is working to become a certified firefighter. "I'm going through the TEEX fire academy. It's almost like a school semester with an on the ground portion later in the year," said Suttey.  

Multiple residents had to be evacuated Tuesday afternoon when a large fire broke out at their apartment complex in Humble. At about 1:48 p.m., crews received a call about a single apartment fire in the 8400 block of Will Clayton Parkway. Residents were trying to put out the flames, but by the time the fire department arrived, the blaze had gone through the roof. The fire was large enough that Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office was called to help direct traffic as the road had to be closed off between Wilson Road and S. Houston Avenue. No one was injured in the fire, but crews said it ripped through 16 units in the building. The fire department said it doesn't know how the fire started, but everyone who evacuated was accounted for as far as they know.  

VIDEO: Emergency crews responded to a house fire in the 1300 block of 60th Street on Tuesday, according to Lubbock Fire Rescue. LFR said firefighters were dispatched to a one-story, single-family home at 5:52 p.m. and arrived on scene at 5:58 p.m. No injuries were reported, according to LFR. Officials said the home was vacant and unsecured at the time of the fire. Video from EverythingLubbock.com's tower camera showed transformers blowing at the scene of the fire. The Fire Marshal's Office classified the cause as "undetermined," according to LFR.  

Portland fire and rescue crews are responding to a three-alarm fire in the 900 block of SW Clay Street. Crews were dispatched shortly before 5:30 p.m. Tuesday to the fire at the former Portland Korean Church. The building was completed in 1905, initially as the First German Evangelical Church. It remained in use by the same congregation for 73 years. "I walked right past it on the way to the DMV," said spectator Gena Hoyt. "We saw huge flames above the church. Like, really huge flames," Joe Silvey says. "Insane. I've never seen anything like it." Fire crews were unable to get inside quickly as the building has been marked as unsafe, with holes in the floors from previous fires. Because of concerns of potential collapse, streets are closed nearby.  

PHOTOS: When the Evanston Fire Department goes out on an alarm call, getting to the scene of the emergency quickly can be a matter of life or death – but arriving there safely is just as important. From Jan. 1, 2019, through Nov. 5, 2022, the EFD reported 65 accidents involving a city-owned vehicle, according to data released to the RoundTable though a Freedom of Information Act request. The majority of the incidents (58, or 89% of the total) were described as minor. Five incidents resulted in some damage and two involved significant damage. As part of the budget development process, the Evanston Fire Department has set a goal to reduce the number of vehicle accidents in 2023 to less than 10. The EFD is not alone with respect to vehicular accidents. In fact, the safety issues surrounding traffic accidents and emergency vehicles – firetrucks, ambulances and police vehicles – has been studied at both the federal and local levels.  

Orange County Fire Rescue released drone video on Tuesday showing crews working to rescue 63 people from The Wheel at ICON Park after the ride lost power on New Year's Eve. The video shows fire crews climbing up the ride and onto the gondolas to reach the people trapped inside on Saturday. More than 20 pods were occupied when the ride stopped functioning, according to fire rescue. Cell phone video prior to the rescue shows sparks and smoke pouring off the side of the giant Ferris wheel. Capt. Greg Hubbard with the Orlando Fire Department said this was the largest rescue conducted by the department. He said climbers went to each gondola to make sure those inside were OK and to alert them they were being helped.  

VIDEO/PHOTOS: New data released Tuesday by the Seattle Fire Department shows the city's fire crews responded to 1,538 encampment fires during 2022, averaging 128 a month. The data reflects a slight increase from 2021, when Seattle Fire recorded 1,446 fires at encampments, and 854 in 2020. On Monday, KOMO News reported on an encampment fire in South Lake Union where wooden structures and tents burned. Seattle 911 data shows it was the fifth time an encampment fire had been reported on the block since August 2021. "I think the city needs to really take accountability," said John Marino, who lives near the encampment that burned. "They need to be responsible and clean this up immediately. We live here, we're concerned and by allowing this to continue it's getting worse." Members of the Seattle Fire Fighters Union IAFF Local 27 told city leadership last year that firefighters were reporting being assaulted at encampment fires, including cases of being threatened with weapons.  

VIDEO: "Firefighters have a nine percent greater chance of getting cancer than the general public, but we have a fourteen percent chance of dying from it than the general public," said Joe Schumacher, COO of the Firefighter Cancer Support Network. The Firefighter Cancer Support Network was created to help bring down that statistic and educate firefighters on protecting themselves from this disease. Schumacher is a three time cancer survivor and a thirty year firefighter veteran. He helps educate firefighters who have been diagnosed with cancer by supplying them a toolbox of resources they and their families can use during that difficult time, including a 230 page manual that covers all the questions they may have. Another one of their programs is the badge to badge support, which pairs two officers together that have and have survived the same type of cancer.