PHOTOS: A fire late Sunday night at a south Springfield apartment complex drew a large response from emergency crews.

Just before midnight Sunday, a fire broke out at the Pebblecreek Apartment complex at 2835 S Fort Avenue. It’s a multi-building complex between W. Sunset Street and W. Battlefield Road.

A witness on scene sent Ozarks First several videos and pictures, showing the roof of one of the buildings fully engulfed in flames. Multiple agencies were also on the scene of the fire.

Firefighters had several ladders propped up to try and reach the upper floors of the building.

Crews could also be seen using ladder pipe to douse the roof of one building, which was heavily involved. It’s unclear how many buildings were damaged.

Medical personnel were also on scene, although it is unclear if there are any injuries.

There is no word yet on a cause of the fire.

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VIDEO: For Women’s History Month, two former Bay area firefighters are being celebrated for paving the way for women.

Jenny Hayes was the first woman to be hired at the Lakeland Fire Department. And Betty Coleman was the first Black female firefighter to put on the uniform at Tampa Fire Rescue.

Both women were hired in the 1980s, when fire departments all across the country were actively recruiting women and other minorities.

“I mean, why not give us a chance?” Hayes said. “That’s how I saw it back then. I’m like, ‘If they’re going to give me a chance, I’m going to show them I can do it.'”

Hayes said a firefighter friend told her about the job. And once hired, some of the men had a hard time trusting her at first.

“You know, like, can she drag me out of a situation?” Hayes said. “I can definitely drag you, I may not be able to carry some of them, but I can definitely drag you.”

According to the National Fire Protection Association, women represent about 9% of firefighters nationwide.

But while the overall percentage may be low, firefighting has grown.

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PHOTOS: Hyundai Motor Group is continuing its efforts to protect the public and firefighters through the donation of four Unmanned Firefighting Robots designed for high-risk environments to South Korea’s National Fire Agency.

A donation ceremony for the remote fire suppression robots was held on February 24 at the National 119 Rescue Headquarters in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.

The event was attended by key figures, including Euisun Chung, Executive Chair of Hyundai Motor Group; Sung Kim, President and Head of Strategic Planning Division of Hyundai Motor Group; Yongbae Lee, President and CEO of Hyundai Rotem Company; Seung-ryong Kim, Acting Commissioner of the Korea National Fire Agency; and Jin-ho Lee, Director of the Policy Coordination of the Korea National Fire Agency.

The Unmanned Firefighting Robot was developed in collaboration with the Korea National Fire Agency and is based on Hyundai Rotem’s electrified, multi-purpose unmanned vehicle, the HR-Sherpa.

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VIDEOS: A home in a Massachusetts city exploded and burst into flames earlier this week, leaving the structure fully engulfed by the time first responders arrived.

Emergency crews were called to the scene on Plain Street in Taunton around 10 a.m. Wednesday. Police and firefighters arrived within minutes, but the force of the explosion had already caused significant damage to the two neighboring homes as well.

The response was complicated by the more than two feet of snow that fell during Monday’s blizzard. The Taunton Police Department released new bodycam video on Thursday showing the moment when officers realized hydrants on the street were buried, slowing efforts to get water on the flames.

“Where are the hydrants? They’re all buried…Do you know where the hydrants are? … We’re f*!” one officer is heard saying in the video as the flames raged.

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VIDEO: Fire departments across the country are facing a difficult reality: fewer firefighters, tighter budgets, and more emergency calls than ever before. Now, one department in Wayne County is turning to new technology to help close that gap.

The Wooster Township Fire Department is among the first in the nation to use a new automated pump system, “Sam,” installed directly on one of its fire engines.

Traditionally, operating a fire engine’s pump panel requires a dedicated firefighter to manually control water flow, pressure, and valves during a fire response. The process is complex and highly hands-on.

“It’s a huge help because we have very limited staffing on duty, and then even when we do get a call, we’re relying on volunteers to show up,” said Fire Chief Dallas Terrell.

The automated system allows firefighters to manage water pressure more efficiently without requiring a full-time pump operator. According to developers at Idex Fire & Safety, the core technology used in many fire engines has remained largely unchanged for generations.

The post Meet ‘Sam’: The high-tech system changing how firefighters battle blazes in one Ohio county appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

A bill passed unanimously in the West Virginia House of Delegates protecting certain conversations between first responders and their peers.

The bill, House Bill 5086, allows police, firefighters and other emergency first responders to speak with “peer support team members,” usually their fellow co-workers, about stress or other topics that may come with the job.

HIPAA laws still apply when treating patients as health care providers, but conversations between co-workers outside of treating patients as a first responder were not previously specifically covered by West Virginia state law when it comes to how those conversations could be used in court.

Sponsor of the bill Del. Jonathan Pinson (R-Mason) says this bill is important to him.

“As a former police officer, I recognize the distress of the job. And I recognize that some of these calls that my coworkers, former coworkers, firemen, EMS, police officers, the stress that’s just compounding in them, for us to be able to unanimously stand together in the House of Delegates and say that we want to provide them this support, it means a lot,” Pinson said.

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PHOTOS: Fire and hazmat crews worked for hours on a blaze that broke out at a salvage yard in Spring Garden Township. The fire was reported at J&K Salvage, located at 1099 Kings Mill Road, just before 2 p.m. Wednesday, according to York County’s Office of Emergency Management.

It was initially reported that the fire broke out inside a building on the property and had also engulfed cars and tractor-trailers. The owner of J&K Salvage said the fire also impacted 20 300-gallon oil containers, the Office of Emergency Management wrote in a Facebook post.

Videos from nearby residents and the fire companies on scene show a cloud of thick smoke billowing from the fire. A tanker task force was requested around 2:18 p.m. to provide extra water, and just after 3:40 p.m., the agency said nearby schools and businesses had been made aware of the incident.

Dispatchers said York Area United Fire and Rescue was the main responding agency on scene, getting help from other local fire crews like Greater York Professional Fire Fighters IAFF Local 2377. The York County Hazmat Team and the foam unit were also on scene.

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Two San Antonio firefighters spoke to an international crowd of cancer researchers about their experience and efforts to mitigate occupational cancer risks to local firefighters on Thursday during a convention hosted by UT Health San Antonio.

Firefighters face higher cancer incidence and mortality rates compared to the general population, and occupational cancer is the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths for the profession, according to the International Association of Fire Fighters.

In partnership with the San Antonio Fire Department and the University of Miami Sylvester’s Firefighter Cancer Initiative, UT Health San Antonio launched the San Antonio Firefighters Cancer Prevention Program in 2025. The program’s goal is to better understand and minimize cancer risk among local first responders.

Over 70 SAFD firefighters have been diagnosed with cancer in the past decade, including leukemia, myeloma as well as brain, thyroid, colon, prostate and testicle cancers, according to UT Health San Antonio. SAFD was also one of the first fire departments in the world to launch a quartermaster program.

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VIDEO/PHOTOS: For almost 150 years, there has rarely been a time when a member of one family hasn’t been on duty.

With 10 firefighters across multiple generations, the McClelland family have clocked up almost 300 years of combined service.

Brothers Stephen and Raymond said their “childhood hero growing up was our father and our brothers” – the men who ran out the door whenever the siren sounded.

Now the latest generation are still answering the call, with one McClelland urging others to join as the fire service recruits more on-call firefighters.

The family’s firefighting history goes back to the 19th century, when volunteers started a fire brigade in Newry. First Officer Alexander McClelland was a founding member, in 1877.

In total, 10 McClellands – brothers, sons, nephews and cousins – have worn the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) uniform.

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A light haze continued to blanket parts of Greenville after a large industrial fire Wednesday morning. Multiple fire crews were called about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday to the commercial structure fire in the 200 block of Old Bleachery Road, according to the Piedmont Park Fire Department.

When crews arrived, they said they found a significant grass and commercial building fire. Crews contained the fire and were working to extinguish remaining hot spots.

They said a light haze was present in the immediate area [Sans Souci & Cherrydale areas] and could affect driving conditions and outdoor activities. A person who lives in the area said on Facebook that she was told to get ready to evacuate by the sheriff’s office.

“We were knocked on our door by sheriff’s office at 3:30 am and told to get ready to evacuate because of the fire. We cannot even see (block over from fire) and soot all over my white car. They said to avoid cedar lane and blue ridge drive at Swamp Rabbit Trail if possible.”

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VIDEO: When it comes to strokes and heart attacks, the Shreveport Fire Department’s response time is exceeding national expectations.

The Shreveport Fire Department has earned the 2026 Mission: Lifeline EMS – Gold Achievement Award from the American Heart Association for the second year in a row, recognizing its commitment to providing the highest level of pre-hospital cardiac and stroke care.

With more than 500 firefighters certified at least as an EMT, SFD Chief Medical Director Dr. David Janese says the award represents more than a title, it represents patients who lived because of exceptional care.

“It’s not just a title, it’s actual lives saved. We’re making a difference for people who call 911. There are some months where we have maybe 40 or 50 cardiac arrests in the City of Shreveport’s jurisdiction. That’s 50 potential deaths. In one month, we had 60% of our cardiac arrests brought back to life,” said Janese.

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A fire tore through a West Babylon apartment complex Tuesday night, injuring three and leaving about 50 residents homeless. The blaze broke out at the Fairfield Suburbia Gardens on Great East Neck Road just before 7:30 p.m.

The first fire hydrant that responders hoped to use was covered in snow, so they used an alternative, delaying water supply to fight the fire. One firefighter and two residents suffered minor injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital.

Two second-story apartments were extensively damaged, and 10 more apartments had water and smoke damage. It was not clear when any of the 50 displaced residents would be allowed to return to the building.

The Red Cross assisted 19 adults and two children across 12 apartment units. Others from the complex went to stay with family and friends.

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A massive early morning fire tore through dozens of boats docked at Marker 37 Marina along the Laguna Madre on Sunday, destroying what witnesses estimate to be the majority of vessels moored there just weeks before the start of the busy spring tourism season.

Officials confirmed no injuries were reported. The fire broke out before dawn at Marker 37 Marina, home to popular waterfront restaurants Snoopy’s Pier and Doc’s Seafood & Steaks. Assistant Fire Chief Tony Perez with the Corpus Christi Fire Department said crews arrived to find multiple boats already heavily involved in flames.

“Anytime a fire spreads we want to put a stop to that as fast as we can,” Perez said. “But unfortunately when we arrived it was already well involved with multiple boats already burning, so at that point it’s just trying to stop it where it is and prevent further damage.”

The cause of the fire remains unknown and the investigation is ongoing. Perez said investigators will work to determine where the fire started, noting that typically the area with the most significant damage is one of the first places officials examine when pinpointing a potential origin.

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VIDEO: Advanced technology played a key role in helping firefighters locate teens who were reported missing during the weekend. Firefighters say Saturday, a couple teenage boys, 17 and 15, got lost riding a side-by-side in a remote area off Gwinn Road in Glenwood near the Cabell-Mason County line, and high water flooded their-side-by-side. They were reported missing a little after 7:30 p.m.

Valley Fire & Rescue out of Apple Grove was among departments that responded. JT Tilton they got new, advanced drone technology last August through a grant. “It allows us to search wider and larger area much faster,” he said. Shortly after 10 p.m., a drone’s thermal imaging allowed Tilton to spot the teens by identifying their heat signature.

Tilton said they used GPS coordinates to guide ground crews from the Milton Volunteer Fire Department to the teens. Valley also provided live drone video feeds to Milton crews. Tilton said the search would’ve been incredibly more difficult without the drones. “In this case, the drones were an invaluable resource,” he said.

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VIDEO: As firefighters across Oklahoma battle intense wildfires this week, the Elgin Fire Department received a major boost courtesy of an unexpected benefactor: Major League Baseball player Walker Buehler. The Buehler Family Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting first responders, donated pallets of bottled water and Gatorade to the fire department, providing crucial supplies to sustain crews throughout the wildfire season.

“He reached out in a big way and provided enough fluids to get them through fire season for sure,” said Ward 3 City Councilmember Phil Britcher, who initially posted a community request for assistance. The donation came about through a chance connection. Elgin resident Joe Kepler texted Buehler, a pitcher who has championed first responder causes through his foundation, asking if he could help local fire departments.

“He immediately responded and said absolutely just tell me where I need to get the stuff to and we’ll work it out,” Kepler said. The generosity reflects a broader community commitment to supporting the fire department, according to Britcher, who has watched residents and local organizations rally behind first responders for years.

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Lincoln Fire and Rescue was on scene at an early morning fire at a railroad bridge in west Lincoln.

LFR responded at 3:45 a.m. Monday to the railroad bridge over Salt Creek by Westgate and Sun Valley boulevards near Pinnacle Bank Arena. Our reporter on the scene could see the bridge engulfed in flames and heavy smoke rising from the area miles away.

The bridge eventually collapsed just before 5:30 a.m. LFR spokesperson, MJ Lierman, said the bridge will be a total loss, and they are working with railroad officials and fire investigators at this time.

While no cause has been determined, our station is working to get more details, while emergency response works the scene.

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VIDEO: A family who lost everything in the Eaton Fire was reunited with replicas of their late father’s treasured Los Angeles Fire Department memorabilia, all thanks to the Los Angeles Fireman’s Relief Association. James Vitale and his wife lost their home in the blaze, along with all of the LAFD mementos belonging to his father, Joe Vitale, who served the department for nearly 20 years.

Joe Vitale worked as an auto firefighter before becoming one of the department’s first fire jumpers after serving in World War II and the Korean War. “The excitement was the saving of lives because he was on the ambulance, and then when Helitack came along, all of a sudden, here was an opportunity to use all his paratrooper training,” James said.

The presentation took place at Station 60 in North Hollywood, where Joe once served. In a moment that left the family emotional, firefighters presented James with a replica of his father’s helmet. “For 40 years, it hung in my office, in my home, and I saw it and it reminded me of my dad, and the loss of that helmet was something that really affected me but more so the fire,” James said.

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VIDEO: Several Central Texas fire departments have adopted a new wildfire risk modeling tool to help firefighters better prepare and mitigate wildfire threats. The ‘Mitigate’ platform, developed by the company FiSci, uses proprietary AI and predictive analytics—combining detailed data on vegetation, weather patterns, and topography—to generate highly detailed maps that simulate how a wildfire could spread and intensify across specific areas.

Travis County Fire Rescue Fire Chief Ken Bailey said the technology helps firefighters take a more strategic approach when facing high‑risk conditions.

“Stuff like this allows us to really think about how we are deploying our resources,” Bailey said. ” [For example] what’s the probability it’s going to jump over and then threaten [a] neighborhood? By running these simulations, we get a higher sense of what our risks are.” Bailey added that the tool can also help agencies test mitigation options, that simulate how actions such shaded fuel breaks, vegetation management, or changes to roadway access could alter fire’s path.

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PHOTOS: Crews from multiple departments battled a three-alarm fire Thursday afternoon at a home on Silver Street that injured two police officers and presented water supply challenges for firefighters. According to officials, Monson fire crews were called to 275 Silver Street around 4:30 p.m. after multiple callers reported heavy smoke in the area. The fire prompted authorities to shut down Silver Street in both directions near Maxwell Road.

Fire Chief Brian Harris said when crews arrived, they found heavy fire spreading throughout the home. When 22News crews arrived, firefighters could be seen actively working to put out the fire as smoke billowed from upper windows and flames were visible on the right side of the building.

According to Jake Wark, Public Information Officer for the Department of Fire Services, because the area has no municipal water supply and nearby lakes were frozen, about half a dozen tanker trucks from regional departments were brought in to shuttle water to the scene. The house sustained catastrophic damage, with portions of the roof collapsing as crews continued working.

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VIDEO: A once-blank wall at South Branch Potomac Lanes in Moorefield has been transformed into a tribute of courage. The mural, painted by local artist Kelson Thorne, honors the first responders who battled the 2024 wildfires that threatened the community.

“Just to know that people take an interest in what I can create is really something that I’m really grateful for and something that I didn’t see coming,” Thorne said. “Opportunities that I have had, I never would have thought would have happened.”

Samuel Williams, owner of the bowling alley, said the mural was designed to recognize the volunteers and first responders who risked their lives during the fires. “To give a little pat on the back and recognition to people that volunteer and are out there trying to save lives, it makes us feel really good that we can do that,” Williams said.

The five-week preparation period proved to be the most challenging and rewarding phase of the project for Thorne, who said the creative process was meditative. “I’m not a very patient person, but whenever I start to do paintings, it’s like the world stops and goes slow,” Thorne said.

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