VIDEO/PHOTOS: Firefighters in West Covina battled a massive residential structure fire that engulfed the rear of a home Thursday night.

The fire was reported at around 10:30 p.m. at 3012 Cameron Avenue, near Virginia Lane, KTLA Sky5 reporter Gil Leyvas reported.

Crews with the West Covina Fire Department arrived quickly, but the rear of the home was fully engulfed in flames, while aerial footage of the blaze captured a neighbor using a water hose to try and protect nearby trees from igniting and possibly sparking a fire on the adjacent property.

Details remain limited and it’s unclear how the fire started, nor is it clear if anyone has been injured as a result of the blaze.

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In more than 40 years as a volunteer firefighter with the North Patchogue Fire Department on Long Island, Bob Meyer has been in the middle of a lot of life and death situations.

A couple of years ago, he was facing his own. Meyer, also a retired corrections officer, needed a heart transplant after a procedure to repair an aortic aneurysm at a local hospital was unsuccessful, and his heart was damaged. “Basically, they told me my heart wasn’t going to get any better,” he said.

He got on the heart transplant list locally in New York, knowing that he would likely have to become very sick before he would qualify for a donor heart, if a matching one could be found.

He had no way of knowing at the time that a chance encounter would point him to the Vanderbilt Transplant Center, and he would receive a new heart nearly 1,000 miles away.

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PHOTOS: A lithium-ion battery from a hoverboard scooter began burning overnight and sparked an explosion that triggered a massive industrial scrapyard fire off U.S. Highway 90 in Jefferson County, destroying about $750,000 worth of high-value scrap metal, according to information Jefferson County Emergency Services District 3 Fire Chief Phillip Kibodeaux provided to KFDM News.

The fire was reported at about 5 a.m. at Scrapworks Industrial LLC, 12070 Highway 90 West, just past ExxonMobil and the Beaumont Municipal Airport.

Chief Kibodeaux says the company had separated a lithium-ion battery from a hoverboard scooter, and the battery began burning at about 2:30 a.m.

The batteries create intense heat, and the chief says the battery fire caused something to blow up and started a fire in another scrap pile.

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A massive fire at a metal recycling facility in Fontana sent thick plumes of smoke into the air Wednesday morning as powerful Santa Ana winds pushed flames toward neighboring businesses and prompted several road closures.

The second-alarm fire broke out at a scrap yard at 14187 Slover Ave. in South Fontana, according to the San Bernardino County Fire Department.

Fire officials said the flames engulfed a large pile of metal debris, with winds reaching 25 mph driving the fire south and threatening adjacent commercial properties.

Video shared by the department showed towering flames tearing through piles of scrap metal as thick clouds of smoke filled the sky. As firefighters worked to contain the blaze, the Fontana Police Department announced several traffic restrictions to allow emergency crews to safely access the area.

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VIDEO: A drone from the Logan-Rogersville Fire Department gave neighboring firefighters a new view of the front lines as Highlandville firefighters and crews from other departments battled a 200-acre fire in Stone County Monday afternoon.

The fire burned more than 200 acres and marked the department’s second large-acreage fire in three days. The fire spread along Curbow Road in Stone County, and flames crossed a river as wind picked up to 30 mph, creating an additional fire for crews to battle.

Highlandville Fire Chief Stephens said he is uncertain what caused the fire. Using Logan-Rogersville’s drone, crews identified critical hotspots and tracked where flames crossed the river.

The aerial view gave Highlandville firefighters a better understanding of how the fire was spreading. It was the first time Stephens and his crew had seen a fire response supported by the Logan-Rogersville department’s drone.

“I was pretty impressed by it. I had never used one of them. I’d never been around one of them. Never been around one, never seen one,” Stephens said.

Logan-Rogersville Assistant Fire Chief Grant Peters said Captain Wescoat piloted the drone and crews were able to identify crucial areas.

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Body camera video captured the desperate effort to rescue a 4-year-old boy trapped inside a burning home in Mississippi.

Sister station WAPT News has obtained exclusive video from the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office showing flames engulfing the home as firefighters spray water on the fire and neighbors and deputies search through smoldering debris for the child.

After several minutes of digging through the wreckage with his bare hands, neighbor Kennard Hodge pulls the boy from the debris. “I got him! I got him!” someone shouts in the body camera footage. Neighbors and first responders can be heard clapping and cheering as they urge the child to keep going.

Edwards Police Chief Terrence Crump described the rescue as extraordinary. “This was nothing short of a miracle,” Crump said. Six children were inside the home on Utica Street when the fire started around 10 p.m. Wednesday.

Neighbors rushed toward the burning home, breaking windows and risking their own safety to get the children out. Five children made it outside, but the 4-year-old remained missing. The newly obtained body camera video captures the moment Hodge pulled the youngest child from the debris and the frantic efforts that followed to save his life.

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PHOTOS: Two firefighters were injured Wednesday morning while battling a massive fire at a vacant apartment complex on the North Side.

The fire started just after 5:30 a.m. at the Sante Fe Apartments off Blanco Road near Gilbert Lane, prompting a three-alarm response involving approximately 150 firefighters and additional support crews.

San Antonio Fire Department spokesperson Joe Arrington said firefighters arrived to find heavy flames inside the boarded-up apartment complex and had to force their way into the building.

While searching the building, one firefighter fell through a section of the floor that had been weakened by the flames.

“They were sounding the floor, making sure it was solid. And as they were sounding, it is when it collapsed underneath them,” Arrington said. “Fortunately, the whole crew didn’t go in. It was just one firefighter, and they were able to get a ladder to get him out pretty quickly.”

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There are over 1,500 photos by Alvah C. Card in the Athenaeum collection, documenting 20th-century Portsmouth and the surrounding area.

A lifelong resident of the city, Card (1913-1988) lived at 466 Marcy St. in the South End. He spent 40 years in public service with the city of Portsmouth, including 30 years with the Water Department and 25 years as a volunteer firefighter with Kearsarge Engine Co. No. 3.

In honor of Fire Prevention Month, the Athenaeum is sharing photos Card took of the Portsmouth Fire Department in action.

On March 15, 1943, Card captured the aftermath of a fire on Congress Street. According to the Portsmouth Herald, the seven-and-a-half-hour blaze “wiped out five stores” in the one-story block on lower Congress Street next to the two-story Montgomery Ward store (now Paul Mitchell’s cosmetology and beauty school).

The stores were Hubbards, Inc., Shaines Boot Shop, Katherine C. Connor hat shop, Louis’ Men’s shop and the Portsmouth Hardware and Plumbing Supply Company.

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VIDEO: A driver is recovering after their van crashed and got stuck between a wall and a building in Acworth, according to the Cobb County Fire Department.

Fire crews were called to the scene on Tuesday night. Once on scene, firefighters observed the van, which officials said, was suspended between the building and a wall.

The department’s Technical Rescue Team had the van propped up to keep it supported and stable as they worked to get the driver–who suffered minor injuries–out of the vehicle, according to fire officials.

Officials have not released any details about how the driver’s vehicle got into this situation.

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Fire crews have been battling a massive, stubborn fire for hours overnight at a commercial building in Somerville, Massachusetts, that sent two firefighters to the hospital and damaged about a half a block of businesses.

Officials say the fire broke out around 10 p.m. Monday in the 100 block of Broadway.

The most damage happened to a barber shop, Brazilian restaurant Rei Da Picanha and a Santander Bank branch. The roof and part of the first floor collapsed, making it even more difficult to put out the fire.

The fire chief says they think the flames started in the basement, and it was too smokey and dangerous to fight in the building, so crews had to pour water from the outside.

“It’s an old building and, old wood. And it got, there’s layers, it had an old tin ceiling, it’s probably been renovated several times over the years. So you have a lot of void spaces to deal with and that just creates a lot of smoke. And then when the fire got up and the roof gets involved, you have rubber roofing material, roofing tar, it produces very acrid smoke,” said Somerville Chief Charles Breen.

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VIDEO: Firefighters say new homes are burning close to 10 times faster than older homes, giving families only a few minutes to escape once a fire starts.

“We’re seeing an uptick in our residential structure fires, how quickly they are burning,” said Heath Jones, Toney volunteer fire chief.

Studies from the National Fire Protection Association show modern homes burn up to 8 times faster than older homes, according to information presented in the report. That has reduced the average window of escape from 17 minutes to 3 to 4 minutes, according to the report.

“They don’t make cars like they used to, they don’t make houses like they used to,” Jones said.

Experts say a mix of engineered lumber, open floor plans and synthetic furniture can reduce the time families have to escape. “All of those are petroleum-based that just fuel the fire,” Jones said.

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Two Chippewa tribal bands are assessing damage after a massive three-alarm fire tore through a neighboring building and spread to their Minneapolis offices, forcing both to close until further notice.

Minneapolis firefighters responded around 4 p.m. on Sunday to a report of a fire burning in a commercial building along East Franklin Avenue near 13th Avenue South.

Firefighters said they received initial reports of people running from the building. Because of reports of people potentially inside the building, firefighters searched the former business for victims.

Officials said heavy shelving and a large amount of items inside the building made battling the fire difficult. As firefighters were inside, the fire intensified, forcing crews to evacuate.

Two firefighters were injured while evacuating and taken to the hospital for evaluation.

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A fire tore through the Esse restaurant and clubhouse at Reynolds Landing near Lake Oconee in Greensboro on Saturday night. No injuries were reported, officials said.

Members and employees told Atlanta News First the restaurant had a family atmosphere, with friendly members and staff. “Just the scale of it was hard to wrap our heads around,” said Justin Cullifer, a Reynolds Lake Oconee member.

Cullifer said Esse was the heart of the neighborhood and held many memories for him, including birthday lunches, company meetings and a luncheon the day after his wedding. “To hear that it went up in flames and then to start getting the text messages and the videos and hearing the stories is really heartbreaking,” he said.

The restaurant was renovated within the past five years, Cullifer said. Of the 15 restaurants at the Landing, he said, Esse was the “it” place, with an upscale feel.

“You could go into the restaurant and see a family with the kids having their textbooks, doing some homework. That was not uncommon to see at all,” Cullifer said. “So to lose that just really stings. It was such an investment for the neighborhood to make, and now it’s gone.”

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State investigators are looking into the cause of a fire that killed a Durham firefighter after a roof collapse.

On Friday, former residents of the building searched for their belongings after the massive fire ravaged their home on Marly Drive. Angeles Waleska Vega Villatoro lived in the building for nearly three years. The pregnant mother said she smelled something burning and grabbed her young daughter while leaving everything behind.

“I was already so upset,” Villatoro said. “I just couldn’t figure out what to do.” Officials said part of the building’s roof collapsed during the fire, causing the second floor to also collapse.

Several firefighters became trapped on the first floor. Durham firefighter Andrew Brokes died at just 24 years old while trying to save others. He previously served with the Elon Fire Department and Swepsonville Fire Department.

“My heart aches for what the firefighter’s family is going through,” Melissa Reyes said. “He was the angel who gave his life to save 14 people who are still alive.”

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VIDEO: The smoke has cleared after a fire in West Fort Worth burned for more than 17 hours, destroying several electric vehicles and highlighting the unique challenges and potential health risks firefighters face when responding to electric vehicle fires.

According to the Fort Worth Fire Department, eight electric vehicles caught fire, creating a complex and hazardous scene unlike anything some local responders had previously encountered.

“We have not responded to a scene like this,” FWFD Spokesperson Craig Trojacek said.

Unlike conventional vehicle fires, electric vehicle fires involving lithium-ion batteries can be particularly difficult to extinguish. Even after flames appear to be out and the smoke is gone, damaged batteries can reignite hours or even days later, complicating firefighting operations and requiring extended monitoring.

“You can’t put them out,” Trojacek said. “There are documented cases that some of these things, you can appear to put them out, and then up to — there have been some cases 28 days later — they’re sitting in a field somewhere, and they reignite.”

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A fire broke out in Los Angeles’ Chinatown neighborhood Thursday night, engulfing commercial buildings and sending a large plume of smoke into the air.

Firefighters responded to reports of a structure fire in the 1000 block of North Main Street just before 7 p.m., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

“First arriving firefighters found a very large outside fire that was exposing and already extending into a couple commercial structures,” LAFD Capt. and Public Information Officer Branden Silverman told Eyewitness News at the scene.

Witnesses described seeing intense flames before fire crews arrived. “There was just the flames and there was this noise like…. Really really hard,” said Chinatown resident Naara Fischert. Fischert said the flames rose high into the sky.

“It was like all the way up and it was red. Really red red red,” she said. According to officials, a one-story commercial building was already engulfed in flames with heavy fire ripping through the roof when crews arrived.

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Reigning NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Champion Jesse Love will be paying tribute to America’s fallen firefighters when he takes on the Blue Cross NC 300 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

On Saturday, October 10, Love will drive Richard Childress Racing’s No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet adorned with names of 204 firefighters who died in the line of duty.

The special paint scheme, featuring the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) logo, honors the Fire Heroes officially added to the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, Maryland, earlier this year.

The car will be on display at Charlotte Fire Department Station No. 1 prior to the race. Love also plans to meet with families of the fallen firefighters attending the Blue Cross NC 300.

“It is an absolute honor to once again partner with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation through Whelen to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice,” Jesse Love said.

“I have been fortunate to meet with these families the last few years and their stories are incredibly moving, giving me a newfound perspective. I can only hope that I will do them proud on race weekend.”

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A pilot was killed Wednesday morning after a single-engine plane crashed and caught fire in north Fort Worth, officials said.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Fort Worth Fire Department officials said the crash was reported at about 9:55 a.m. along Bonds Ranch Road between Willow Springs Road and Business 287, near Hicks Airfield.

Fort Worth fire crews arrived to find the plane engulfed in flames. Firefighters extinguished the fire and found one man inside the aircraft. He was pronounced dead at the scene, fire officials said.

Video posted on social media showed the wreckage on fire along a nearby road. Officials said the crash also damaged power lines, but power has been restored to surrounding homes.

The crash also sparked a grass fire, which firefighters were able to extinguish. Officials said the plane came down close to a residential community but did not hit any homes. No other injuries were reported.

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PHOTOS: A firefighter died and two others were injured in a large fire that broke out in a Durham building, the Durham Fire Department confirmed.

The two firefighters who were hurt are expected to be okay. The fire was reported in the 400 block of Marly Drive near South Miami Boulevard. The WRAL Breaking News Tracker arrived to find flames ripping through the roof of the building and smoke rising from the structure.

“We just ask that right now, you keep the family and the firefighting community and all the friends and relatives of the deceased and the injured firefighters in your thoughts and prayers,” said Deputy Chief Chris Iannuzzi.

Sky 5 flew over the damaged building at 8 a.m. The roof was mostly collapsed, and the damage was extensive. Three people at the scene said the building was a community home. One of the three reportedly lived at the home, and her friends were giving her a place to stay in the meantime.

Numerous crews from the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, EMS and others were on the scene. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation also arrived at the scene around 5:45 a.m., and the Durham Mobile Command Unit arrived about an hour later.

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VIDEO: The Vestal Fire Department hosted a demonstration Wednesday evening of new fire suppression equipment not previously seen in this country.

Leader Group, an international manufacturer of firefighter equipment, met with the Vestal Fire Department to demonstrate “Diphasic,” an indoor fire suppression system.

Jerry Halpin, with C.E.T. Fire Pump, said the product reduces structural damage caused by firefighting.

“It causes a great deal of damage to structures when the fire is put out, this product reduces those particular incidences to almost zero,” Halpin said.

Halpin said the technology applies small amounts of water atomized into fine particles, combined with compressed air, to fight, suppress and extinguish fires.

“With science and new technology, there is a way of applying very small amounts of water that have been atomized into the tiniest particles of water that can be produced along with compressed air to fight, suppress, and extinguish fires,” Halpin said.

The substances that burn most commonly in fires are gases that come from fuel being heated from sources in buildings, such as wood.

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