Firefighter Close Calls

On 4/18/1906 near San Francisco, California a magnitude (Mw) 7.8 earthquake occurred when the San Andreas Fault slipped over a segment about 275 miles long at 5:12 a.m. The subsequent fires killed 315+ and the fire ultimately destroyed over 500 city blocks and almost 30,000 buildings downtown. “Shaking was felt from Oregon to Los Angeles, […]

On 4/17/2013 a West, Texas one-story, 12,000 square-foot unprotected wood-frame fertilizer plant (storage and distribution) facility explosion, and fire killed fifteen (ten first responders), injured more than 250, and damaged or destroyed more than 500 buildings within a 37-block area with a $100 million loss. There were no automatic detection or suppression systems in the […]

On 4/16/1947 the Texas City, Texas disaster killed 581 people including twenty-seven firefighters, and 3,500 were injured when 2,300 tons of ammonium nitrate fertilizer aboard the SS Grandcamp exploded. Smoke was spotted from one of the cargo holds, fearing damaging the cargo the hold was secured attempting to smother the (oxidizer) fire, at 9:00 a.m… […]

On 4/15/2013 during the Boston (Massachusetts) Marathon, two pressure-cooker bombs exploded at 2:49 p.m. killing three people and injuring 264. “The bombs exploded about 13 seconds and 210 yards apart, near the finish line on Boylston Street. The 117th annual Boston Marathon was run on Patriots’ Day, April 15, 2013. The first exploded outside Marathon […]

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A Las Vegas Fire and Rescue vehicle that had been stolen was involved in a crash Wednesday morning, police said. According to Fernando Gray, Fire Chief for the City of Las Vegas, emergency crews responded to the 400 block of Fremont Street around 6 a.m. on Wednesday for a medical emergency. At […]

STOCKTON, Calif. — Multiple people were hurt after a fire engine slammed into a Stockton home Wednesday morning after a crash involving two other vehicles, police said. A gas station employee KCRA 3 spoke with said the owner of the home involved in the crash was across the street paying for coffee when the firetruck […]

WEBB COUNTY, TX (KGNS) – Two paramedics are injured following a car crash just north of Webb County involving a private ambulance service unit and a trailer. The crash was reported on Tuesday morning at around 11:30 a.m. KGNS has confirmed that an Angel Care ambulance was on its way to a call near Rancho […]

County of Maui Fire Chief Brad Ventura presented the Department of Fire and Public Safety’s After-Action Report on the August 2023 Maui wildfires during a press conference this morning at Kula Fire Station. Maui Fire Department (MFD) Chief Ventura, along with Assistant Chief Jeff Giesea, outlined the scope of the report, which covers four wildfires that […]

Birmingham, AL — When we think of dangers to firefighters, it’s the flames and burning buildings that come to mind. But the dangers you don’t see are the chemicals that can lead to esophageal and other cancers. New screening methods are helping catch the cancers earlier. Firefighters are exposed to hundreds of chemicals such as benzene, […]

DENVER (KDVR) — A South Metro Fire Rescue crew was involved in a rollover crash in Centennial Monday afternoon. The crash happened around noon near South Havana Street and East Arapahoe Road. The area is northwest of the Centennial Airport. South Metro Fire Rescue confirmed on X that one of their units was responding to a call […]

In Onondaga County NY (near Syracuse) 2 Police officers were shot and killed last night. Syracuse PD Officer Michael Jensen and Onondaga Sheriffs Lieutenant Michael Hoosock were both killed in the Line of Duty. Lieutenant Hoosock was previously a member of the Lyncourt FD, a part time FF/Medic with the Manlius FD, a medic with […]

ST. LOUIS — A city firefighter ran out of oxygen while trapped under rubble during a house fire here because he was wearing faulty breathing equipment, according to a lawsuit filed by his parents. The equipment worn by Ben Polson, 33, should have alerted coworkers to his location when he stopped moving after the ceiling […]

SCOTLAND COUNTY, NC (WMBF) – A car hit a North Carolina fire station on Sunday, causing “significant damage,” according to officials. The Scotland County Rescue Squad was called to a serious two-car crash at the Highway 501 South and Pea Bridge Road intersection. The agency said one of the cars hit the Stewartsville Volunteer Fire […]

All, A Los Angeles City recruit Firefighter, who was just sworn in last week, was killed on the 101 Freeway in Studio City Monday morning. The crash was reported at 0511 hours on the northbound lanes at Campo de Cahuenga. The victim, a recruit Firefighter, was on his way to the fire drill tower and […]

ROME TWP. — An Addison Fire Department ambulance transporting a patient Saturday was struck by a pickup on U.S. 223 at Onsted Highway. Addison Fire Chief David Aungst said the ambulance was transporting a patient to ProMedica Hickman Hospital in Adrian Township at about 10 p.m. when a southbound pickup on Onsted Highway struck the […]

Two people suffered major injuries after a car hit a fire department ladder truck on Interstate 680 in Walnut Creek Saturday, the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District said. The ladder truck was parked on the highway near the Olympic Boulevard exit when it was struck at around 10 a.m., said Contra Costa County Fire […]

Initially dispatched to an outdoor fire, when the dispatched engine was approaching the scene, they realized the call was bigger than an outdoor fire and that it was on another street. They arrived on the scene to see a single-story residence with flames visible from the Delta side of the house through the roof. They […]

MINERSVILLE, SCHUYLKILL COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Firefighters were on the scene Sunday afternoon battling a fire in Minersville that left many injured, impacting multiple homes, and left 20 people displaced. Officials tell 28/22 News, crews were called at about 12:44 p.m. to the 600 block of North Second Street in Minersville for a third-alarm fire impacting at […]

Six years ago, the Santa Clara County Fire Department was battling one of the largest wildfires ever to break out in California, the Mendocino Complex fire. With thousands of firefighters on the front line, county officials needed to coordinate fire suppression efforts at multiple points. But they ran into a major roadblock. Their wireless internet […]

All, A Milwaukee firefighter suffered severe burns and is in the hospital after he was trapped while operating at a house fire early this morning that left one person dead. The firefighter is being treated in the burn unit at Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital. Another person inside the home died. “We were probably 30 seconds […]