An elderly woman and two of her dogs died in an early morning house fire in Fort Worth on January 22. It was 4:30 a.m. when crews were called to the home in the 2100 block of Hudson Street. When firefighters arrived they found only light smoke coming from the house, but once inside heavy fire was in the front room. Victim Jan Reynolds Davis, 70, and two of her dogs were found in the back of the house. Firefighters reported they did not hear alarms going off when they made entry. "You're not gonna smell smoke and wake up," said Fort Worth Fire Department spokesman Kyle Clay. "It's important to have those things to wake you up when we're sleeping." It didn't take long for firefighters to extinguish the 1-alarm blaze, but crews stayed at the scene for hours putting out hot spots.  

In the days following the accident that took the lives of Lieutenant Eric Hill and Officer Nicholas Reyna, people have been wondering about the condition of survivor, firefighter Matt Dawson. At last update Lubbock Fire Rescue said Dawson remains in stable condition at University Medical Center, and had surgery on his wrist on Monday. Division Chief with Lubbock Fire Rescue, Steve Holland, said LFR has made it a priority to have at least two firefighters by Dawson's side at all times, until he gets better and can go home. "I don't know that he'll be totally surprised with the fact that we've been there 24/7," Holland said. "Matt's the kind of guy that would have been on the work list to be by another brother's side."  

Whenever disaster strikes, one local group is always ready to lend a hand to first responders, victims, and anyone else affected. "We go out, we make sure they're hydrated, we keep an eye on them, we give them snacks, we minister to them, we pray over them, and we pray with the families and the victims," Linda Day said. Day said she's been part of the Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Response Team for about 10 years. She said their team goes out to fires, crime scenes, search parties, and anything where first responders are working for hours at a time. Day said they helped with the search effort last Sunday for the Arkansas woman who drowned after a crash in a Sherman culvert. "We did a lot of praying, because that was a tough one," Day said.  

As investigators try to figure out what caused a driver to go off a Fort Worth bridge early Friday morning, one of the firefighters who was first on scene recalled the experience. About half a mile from Fire Station 6, is the place where two men died Friday when a truck crashed through a concrete barrier and plunged into the Trinity River. "It was completely submerged. We didn't see anything but the rubble from the bridge," said Fort Worth firefighter and EMT Jose Monreal. He said he heard somebody yelling. It was a good Samaritan, who jumped in the water to try to help. A tow truck used cables to haul the truck up. Two men, identified as Raymundo Luna and Raul Torres-Reyna were found dead inside. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families. I hope they know we did our best out there trying to save them," Monreal said.  

One of the most famed musicals once said it: There really is no place like home. For a family whose life was surrounded by the art form, that line holds true. "We would all come in here and gather around that beautiful piano and sing for hours and rehearse," Missy Miller Berlet recalled as she dug through heavy wet covers of old vinyl records in the rubble of her childhood home. "It's devastating," she said. "Each time I see something new that I look at and realize what it was. There are so many memories." Earlier this month, San Antonio firefighters were called to Old Moss Road for a house up in flames. The owner, Margie Miller, did manage to escape, a fact that still stuns her son. "The walls and the front door were fully engulfed," Thomas Miller said.  

VIDEO: The Longview Fire Department responded to house fire Wednesday morning in the 1000 block of Lorin Drive. The house was about 75 percent involved when firefighters arrived about 4 a.m., according to the Longview Fire Department. No one lived at the house, but the fire department said there was electricity going to the property. The house is a total loss. The cause of the fire is under investigation.  

VIDEO: A statewide minimum wage increase that went into effect this year never came for Raton firefighters after city officials said they were unaware that the new law overruled the contract they had with the firefighters union. Now state unions are calling for appropriate raises. "It's an honor for them to serve, but at the same time—just compensate them correctly, that's all we're asking," said Robert Sanchez, president of the New Mexico Professional Fire Fighters Association. "So it looks like the city of Raton is refusing to pay their minimum wage status," Sanchez added. A contract that the city of Ration entered with the firefighters union last summer shows entry-level firefighters make $8.87 an hour, which is less than the state's new minimum of $9 an hour.  

The county's Emergency Services Department Board unanimously motioned to end its contracts with volunteer fire departments that protect a large chunk of El Paso County Tuesday night, leaving many firefighters worried for their futures. Six El Paso area fire departments say they were given a 90-day notice that the county is looking at terminating their contracts and with no plan in place that they're aware of, the firefighters worry what this means for the communities they serve. The emergency services district two includes the communities of San Elizario, Fabens, Clint, Montana Vista, Socorro, Anthony, and Vinton. The volunteer departments are hoping for an open and fair discussion with the emergency services board attorney, according to Lisa Soto, the attorney representing the volunteer fire departments.  

A wildland firefighter badly burned in the 2015 Twisp River blaze has reached a $5 million settlement with two utility companies that he had sued for allegedly failing to keep branches away from a power line that state officials concluded caused the ignition. The civil suit that resulted in the settlement was filed by Daniel Lyon Jr., the sole survivor of a four-person engine crew overcome by the Twisp River fire. The settlement came just before the state Supreme Court was scheduled to hear oral arguments on the case, which sought to overturn a legal doctrine that largely prevents professional first-responders from seeking damages. Steve Bulzomi, an attorney representing Lyon, said it is highly unusual for a firefighter in Washington to be able to recover any damages because such cases are usually dismissed.  

VIDEO: The state fire marshal on Tuesday put all Massachusetts fire chiefs on alert that his office has already received reports of two instances in which teens trying to recreate a viral video have caused electrical system damage or fire. Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey said a video that's gained attention on the TikTok app has encouraged teens to partially insert the plug part of a phone charger into a wall outlet and then slide a penny down the wall to make contact with the two exposed prongs. "The result is sparks, electrical system damage, and in some cases fire," the fire marshal said in a memo to fire officials around the state. He added, "This video is a concern and similar to past viral videos that encourage unsafe behavior. You might reach out to local news outlets, school officials, and parent organizations. Alert them to this challenge, advise them to, not only look for signs of fire play like scorched outlets, but to have conversations about fire and electrical safety with tweens and teenagers."  

VIDEO: The Plover Fire Department recently started using navigation compass devices in their masks. It not only helps crews combat structure fires but it also helps them save lives. "We've had two actual structure fires within the last week," said Plover Fire Dept. Captain Ethan Meddaugh. "One in the village of Plover and one in the village of Whiting." Time is everything when it comes to a fire. "Time is very valuable," says Meddaugh. "In a matter of seconds a fire can double in size." The compass devices make it easier for firefighters to find their way around when battling a blaze. "The mask can definitely help us in a structure fire to keep the hot air and smoke away from us and having to breathe in the fire," says Meddaugh. "But adding the new navigation device to our masks it has it readily available in our field of vision so we can see through the smoke."