VIDEO: Two volunteer firefighters were critically injured Thursday when a tanker truck from the Ingalls Volunteer Fire Department crashed on Highway 51, about 10 miles east of Stillwater, Oklahoma, after a tire failure caused it to leave the roadway.

The tanker, fully loaded with water, suffered a catastrophic failure of a front steering tire while traveling westbound, according to a statement from the Ingalls Volunteer Fire Department on social media. The failure caused the truck to crash through guardrails, roll over, and come to rest in a wooded area near West Point Road.

Good Samaritans driving on Highway 51 helped rescue one of the firefighters trapped inside the truck, while the Stillwater Fire Department extricated the other. Both firefighters were awake and alert when they were airlifted to a trauma center in Tulsa.

The Ingalls Fire Department stated that, out of respect for the firefighters, their names will not be released at this time. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is investigating the cause of the tire failure.

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VIDEO: Kaiya Davis says his passion for art began at an early age, inspired by cartoons and their many sketches, styles and designs.

Today, Davis works as a firefighter in Milledgeville, a career he loves. “I love the job,” Davis said. “I love helping the community. I love everything about it.”

After becoming a firefighter, Davis said his artistic inspiration began to change. His experiences on the job gave him a different perspective on life and the people he serves.

“You see things that other people don’t see in life,” Davis said. “And you’re just basically there to help people who need the help at that time of need. The realism that I was trying to put into my art beforehand, I can actually feel it now.”

Music also plays an important role in Davis’ creative process. He draws inspiration from artists who have openly shared their struggles with mental health and substance abuse.

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The Oak Park Fire Department has partnered with the University of Illinois Fire Institute for a study to evaluate how the job affects firefighters’ health, with a focus on cancer screenings.

Participating firefighters will provide blood and urine samples and complete a baseline health questionnaire, an annual cancer survey and an exposure log form.

Participation in the study is voluntary and people can withdraw at any time throughout the study, which is planned to span up to 30 years.

They will also be asked to log their fire exposure after each study, which allows researchers to connect occupational exposures to health outcomes.

“We hope our participation not only benefits our own members through enhanced screening and early detection but also contributes to research that will improve firefighter safety across Illinois and beyond,” said JT Terry, Oak Park’s fire chief. “The study brings together scientific expertise and resources that individual fire departments simply cannot replicate on their own.”

The U of I study, which started in late 2024, currently has participation from over 100 fire departments in the state, according to Farzaneh Masoud, the director of research at the Illinois Fire Service Institute. A 40-foot-long mobile lab drives to pick up samples from different stations, she said.

Firefighters aged 18 and older, including retirees, emergency medical responders and people from all firefighting subgroups — whether volunteers or career and of any rank are able to participate in the study, program officials said.

“We look at the biomarkers of exposure and biomarkers of effect, how those exposures can affect their body, their metabolism or their muscles,” she said. “To annual sample collections, we follow them, we look at the gene toxicity, how these conditions are affected due to the accumulation of toxicants and carcinogens in their bodies and that’s the promise of this study.”

Firefighters have major health issues, Masoud said, and that the purpose of the study is to identify how the environments and conditions they’re exposed to affect their body, metabolism and muscles.

Health and safety is the highest priority for Oak Park’s fire department, Terry said, and its involvement in the study is part of both its physical and mental wellness initiative. Oak Park’s Fire Department currently staffs 79 sworn firefighters, paramedics and civilian personnel, Terry said.

“Ultimately, our goal is to protect the firefighters serving today while helping build a safer fire service for future generations,” he said. “If our participation helps researchers better understand occupational exposures, improve protective practices, and reduce cancer risk for firefighters everywhere, then it is an investment well worth making.”

Masoud said everybody a part of the Illinois Fire Service Institute is working to cover the “severely understudied population of heroes” to try to get ahead of a disease that has taken the lives of millions.

“They ultimately want to get ahead of cancer because it’s all about early detection,” Masoud said. “So if we can understand cancer better, get ahead of it, there’s going to be a lot of new knowledge that comes out of this research. We believe it will ultimately save lives, if not for this generation, then hopefully for the next.”

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PHOTOS: One person was found dead inside an apartment building in the Norwood section of the Bronx after an out-of-control fire broke out on Wednesday.

The fire was first reported on the second floor of a building at 374 East 209th St. shortly after noon. It reached 5 alarms just before 2 p.m. and wasn’t placed under control until after 8 p.m.

Several residents had to be rescued, but it wasn’t until five hours after the fire started that search and rescue teams discovered one person dead inside the building.

In addition, FDNY officials said eight civilians were injured, including two with life-threatening injuries, another two with serious injuries and four with minor injuries. Six firefighters were also injured, including three with serious injuries and another three with minor injuries.

Among those critically injured was a 48-year-old woman who was rushed to Jacobi hospital. One of those injured is a child under 1 years old, but their injuries were believed to be minor.

“The firefighters were rescuing people from the building and EMS was providing lifesaving treatment right on the scene, saving multiple lives,” said FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore.

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The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District is mourning the loss of one of its most remarkable members.

Retired Assistant Chief Edwin Martin passed away Friday, July 25, in Lehigh Acres at the age of 111 years and 159 days, according to the department.

Martin held the distinction of being the world’s oldest living firefighter and was widely recognized as the oldest known living man in the United States.

His firefighting career began in 1940 with the Baltimore County Fire Department, where he served for 24 years before retiring and moving to Lehigh Acres in 1964.

He came out of retirement in 1967 to join the Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District as a volunteer, eventually rising through nearly every leadership position in the organization.

Martin served as Interim Chief in 1970, Assistant Chief from 1971 to 1976 and later as Superintendent of Maintenance, where his deep knowledge of the department’s equipment and facilities earned him widespread respect.

The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District is inviting family, friends, current and retired members and the community to honor Martin’s life and legacy.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Monday, Aug. 10, at Hodges Funeral Home at Lee Memorial Park, 12777 FL-82, Fort Myers, Fla. 33913, with visitation from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. A graveside service will follow immediately after.

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Firefighters remained on scene Thursday morning after spending several hours battling a massive fire that destroyed the Texas Gulf Seafood distribution warehouse near the Galveston Yacht Basin on Wednesday night.

The fire started around 8:40 p.m. at the Texas Gulf Seafood distribution warehouse on Pier 7, near 7th Street and Wharf Road, where towering flames and heavy smoke could be seen rising into the sky. According to the Galveston Fire Chief, crews arrived to find heavy smoke and flames coming from the warehouse.

The size of the fire prompted a second alarm, bringing in assistance from several Galveston County fire departments. Officials said the size of the warehouse made it a lengthy operation, but firefighters were eventually able to stop the flames from spreading.

Firefighters worked for hours before getting the blaze under control. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Officials said crews were expected to remain on scene for several more hours while ensuring the fire is completely extinguished.

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VIDEOS: A second alarm was called for a fire that broke out at an apartment building in Southeast DC on Tuesday afternoon. The DC Fire and EMS Department was called at around 1:50 p.m. to a three-story apartment building in the 5300 block of E St.

Responding firefighters were met with smoke and fire showing from the roof eaves. Firefighters went into the building and searched for people to get them out.

A second alarm was called as the fire extended to a nearby building. The fire was knocked down over an hour later. Fire officials said 12 occupied apartment units were affected, displacing 28 adults, 16 kids, four dogs and three cats. One firefighter was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

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VIDEO: The Salt Lake City Fire Department is one of only about 1% of fire departments in the country running a program that embeds social workers directly with paramedics and firefighters to respond to 911 calls involving a wide variety of issues, including mental health crises and drug overdoses.

The program, called the Community Health Access Team — or CHAT — has been operating for 4 years. The goal is to meet people at their most vulnerable moments and connect them to services that can provide lasting help — not just immediate medical care.

“It’s about sending the right people to the right call at the right time and changing their life,” Salt Lake City Fire Division Chief Kyle Lavender said. CHAT team members are stationed at Salt Lake City fire stations, including Fire Station 5, located near 900 South and 900 East.

Social workers respond alongside paramedics and firefighters to calls involving issues that may require more than immediate medical attention.

“Salt Lake City probably has the lion’s share of the homeless population in the state of Utah, and with that population comes a lot of substance abuse, mental illness — and for our firefighters, that’s not really their training,” Lavender said.

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VIDEOS: First responders say they were in the right place at the right time Monday when they rescued a 28-year-old man from an overturned pickup truck submerged in Nimishillen Creek.

The driver of the truck drove passed the median on Interstate 77 in Canton when he crashed into the creek. The dramatic rescue unfolded when firefighters from the Bolivar Fire Department happened to be driving back from Aultman Hospital and were flagged down by motorists who had witnessed the crash. “They said, ‘There’s a truck that just crossed the median and went into the river,'” Bolivar Fire Lt. Kent Thompson said. “You don’t hear that that often.”

Firefighters found the pickup upside down and completely submerged, with the driver trapped inside. Bolivar firefighters Sarah Valentine and Ashley Curtner, along with Canton firefighter Kyle Gallagher, climbed over a fence, descended into the creek and worked together to free the driver through the passenger-side door.

According to the Canton Fire Department, only about six minutes elapsed from the time the department was dispatched until crews removed the man from the water. However, when crews rescued the man, he had no pulse.

Canton fire officials say he was transported to Aultman Hospital, where medical personnel were able to resuscitate him. He was later transferred to a Columbus-area hospital, where he remains in critical condition.

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An early-morning fire at the Astor Place subway station in Manhattan left multiple people injured and temporarily suspended service on the 4 and 6 lines, which resumed with significant delays.

According to the FDNY, a fire broke out on a southbound 4 train car at around 2:15 a.m. Tuesday. Officials said it was a work train being used to vacuum the tracks. It was not a regular passenger train.

Eight MTA workers and six firefighters suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to officials. The FDNY said at one point over 141 fire and EMS personnel were on the scene, but the situation had since quieted down.

A northbound passenger train was pulling into the station at the same time the fire started. All riders were evacuated safely with no injuries reported. As of 7 a.m., 4/5/6 trains were running with “severe delays in both directions after FDNY concluded an investigation at Astor Place,” the MTA said, but service has been improving.

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VIDEO: Firefighters extinguished a blaze Monday morning that took place at an automobile repair shop in southeast Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma City Fire Department says crews were called around 1:30 a.m. to respond to an area near Southeast 31st Street and South High Avenue.

After putting the fire out, crews at the scene say their new efforts were aided by new technology, including a drone aerial-reconnaissance program.

“Luckily, thanks to our new drone program, a fire alarm was immediately dispatched because the dispatchers downtown could see it on our own Aerial view,” OKCFD Battalion Chief Zach Bruhn said. “All crews arrived on scene extremely quickly. They did a great job knocking down this fire.”

No injuries were reported, but crews are still investigating the cause of the fire.

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VIDEO/PHOTOS: Members of a firefighting crew suffered minor injuries Sunday afternoon, Aug. 2, after their engine overturned near the Feliz Fire outside of Hopland.

The five crewmembers, who were from the Shasta-Trinity unit, were in a Type 3 brush engine when it crashed at 2800 Feliz Creek Road. They were treated at a hospital before being released, said Sherri Wise, a spokesperson for the Cal Fire Mendocino Unit.

Wise said she did not know the fire engine’s extent of damage, but it will be out of service while the cause of the crash is investigated. Wise also did not know where the firefighters were going at the time of the crash. They were assisting with a fire that was first reported about 3:40 p.m. Saturday near Feliz Road and Road 110 northwest of Hopland.

It spread to 500 acres within its first two hours but has remained at 872 acres since Sunday night, Wise said just before 8 a.m. Monday.

Containment was still at 30% and efforts to quell the fire were “looking fantastic,” she said. The rapidly growing blaze forced evacuation advisories 40 minutes after it was reported and those were soon upgraded to warnings and orders. Orders and warnings were lifted late Sunday.

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PHOTOS: Devastating wildfires burned more than 5,300 acres in Spokane County, destroyed hundreds of homes and forced at least 60,000 people to evacuate. Gov. Bob Ferguson was there on Sunday to see the impact as he requests both short- and long-term federal help.

Katie Sullivan, of Spokane, told KOMO News she’s grateful her parents and pets are safe, but it was a difficult Saturday afternoon and night trying to evacuate.

A Sunday morning drive northwest of downtown Spokane revealed the Spokane Complex Fire had ravaged countless homes in her parents’ neighborhood. Their family home of 15 years was one of just a few still standing on the block. “We are one of the lucky ones. There was fire retardant dropped on top of the house and the cars,” Sullivan explained.

Less than a day earlier, she helped her parents evacuate as the flames crept closer, and she said they were temporarily stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. “There was a moment of fear I think I’ve never felt before in my life where a cloud of smoke comes and blocks the sun and you can hear things exploding (and) catching fire,” Sullivan explained. “There (was) nowhere to go. We did get out: families, pets. All things that are precious and important.”

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VIDEO: A routine emergency call became a memorable moment for the Rockport Volunteer Fire Department.

Engine 1 responded to a crash scene with an all-women crew, marking a proud moment for the department and the firefighters behind the helmets.

The crew helped secure the accident scene, checked on those involved and worked alongside other first responders. The crash resulted in only minor injuries, and emergency crews were able to quickly clear the roadway.

While the responsibilities of the job remained the same, the call highlighted the women who serve their community and respond when help is needed.

For the Rockport Volunteer Fire Department, the moment was a reminder of the dedication and teamwork shared by every firefighter who answers the call.

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VIDEO/PHOTOS: A large fire broke out at the vacant Centennial Mills building in Portland’s Pearl District, with crews first responding sometime around 3:50 p.m. Sunday.

Portland Fire & Rescue reported at about 4 p.m. that crews were on-scene at the warehouse in the 1300 block of Northwest Naito Parkway near the Fremont Bridge, where “significant brown smoke” was “pushing out under pressure on all sides.” A second alarm was requested.

The agency said the warehouse was considered an unsafe building and that “no interior firefighting activity will occur,” with crews taking “only exterior defensive actions.”

Portland Fire & Rescue later reported heavy fire throughout the warehouse and requested a third alarm. The agency said plans were being put in place to establish safe positioning for firefighters because of concerns about a possible structural collapse. There were reports of a grass fire adjacent the structure, on top of the large commercial fire, PF&R said.

The agency said it has requested for a complete shutdown of Naito Parkway.

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PHOTOS: A large fire tore through the repair facility at a California Ford dealership early Thursday morning, burning up to 20 vehicles before firefighters stopped the flames from spreading, authorities said.

The fire was reported around 4:20 a.m. Thursday at the AutoNation Ford dealership on Creekside Road in Santa Clarita, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

When firefighters arrived, they found a roughly 30-by-200-foot repair building fully engulfed in flames, with 15 to 20 vehicles burning inside and around the structure.

Because flames had already burned through the roof, crews immediately switched to a defensive attack, battling the blaze from outside the building rather than sending firefighters inside.

“It was fully involved where we couldn’t make access to the building,” L.A. County Fire Battalion Chief Josh Tibbett said. “There were no firefighter injuries or civilian injuries.”

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A humorous video posted by the Honolulu Fire Department highlighting common hiking mistakes is going viral.

The video, posted at 5 a.m. Wednesday, racked up more than 1.6 million views and 93,000 likes on Instagram within 24 hours.

Set to Meghan Trainor’s hit song “No,” the reel shows the common missteps that lead to rescues on Oahu’s most popular trails.

While the video is funny, firefighters say the message is serious; Hiking with no water, a low cell phone battery, or while wearing slippers is dangerous. The busiest trail for rescues, Koko Head Stairs, is used as the setting for the video.

HFD advises hikers to stay on marked trails, know your limits, and to tell someone where you’re going.

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PHOTOS: Akron firefighters responded to a recycling center fire Thursday that resulted in heavy black smoke and a shelter-in-place order that has since been lifted.

The fire sparked ahead of 1:35 p.m. at Holub Recycling, located at 470 N. Arlington St. near Summa Hospital. The source was a 40-foot-high pile of compressed recycled cars, metals, plastic and rubber.

Fire crews said fire and smoke were initially seen coming from “a large scrap/rubbish pile” outside the center.

The blaze drew nearly half of Akron’s fire department to the scene, with multiple pumpers, engine companies and several ladder trucks rotating in throughout the afternoon, fire officials said.

“We’ve had almost the entire department out here rotating in. So right now, we probably have close to half the department on scene. Multiple pumpers, engine companies, and several ladders,” Capt. Matt Askea with Akron Fire Department.

A shelter-in-place order has been lifted for parts of the Arlington and Middlebury neighborhoods.

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PHOTOS: Canton Fire reports a second burn victim has been found following a home explosion on Thursday, July 30.

Witnesses told FOX 8 News that the sound of an explosion at 1617 Bonnot Place NE, woke them up shortly before 4 a.m. on Thursday. Canton Division Chief Steve Henderson tells FOX 8 the explosion could be felt 2 miles away.

Canton Fire released video of the moment it happened. Henderson said the home was already destroyed when firefighters arrived. The blast was so powerful, it blew one man into the street.

Canton Fire says he was taken to the hospital with burns to 80% of his body. “It was a big boom like a bomb or missile was going off. It actually shattered some of my neighbor’s windows even and shook my whole house,” said Victor Howell, who shared video of the scene.

SkyFOX video over the neighborhood showed a massive debris field around the home. The man who survived the explosion told fire that there was another person in the home, prompting a search.

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VIDEO: A team of active and retired firefighters is working to bring an old fire truck back home in hopes of donating the truck to the city of Somerville.

The 72-year-old truck spent four decades serving in Somerville before being sent to New York.

The man who tracked down the truck said he found it through a Facebook post in Minnesota and knew he needed to jump on the opportunity to restore it.

“I just kinda always liked the design of this particular truck and sure enough this popped up in a field with snow on it in Minnesota and it still said Somerville on it,” said Jay Keane, the retired district fire chief of Somerville. “It served Somerville for 40 years, it was at some of the biggest fires Somerville had.”

Keane said the truck is getting work done in Connecticut before it makes its way back to the Somerville area.

A GoFundMe was set up for anyone looking to donate to help cover the expenses. He said they are hoping to offer it to the city this fall to be used in parades and other community events.

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