The caption on this AP photo, above, from BostonHerald.com reads: Boston firefighter Joe O’Connor waits for evacuation from the roof of a triple-decker house fire Monday, Nov. 12, 2007, in Boston. Read the Herald’s story, here.

This one (above) is on the Boston Globe’s website and is credited as an AP photo by John Cetrino. The caption says the firefighter obscured by the ladder is Joe O’Connor and the one doing the pointing is Michael Johnson. See the Globe’s story, here.

CLOSE CALL ALERT — Must see TV: Now that you have seen the still pictures, look at the video above. It is raw video from WFXT-TV’s helicopter, as the firefighters make a hasty retreat from the rooftop, taking an aerial ladder ride, two-at-a-time to the neighboring roof. It is well worth watching the more than 4-minute clip.

The above images from WBZ-TV

Watch 1:15 of raw video from WBZ-TV photographer Chuck Manning, on the scene before firefighters arrived

Watch raw video of the roof top evacuation as viewed from the ground

WFXT-TV interviews with trapped ladder crew and firefighters who made rescues

Watch raw video of interviews with Boston firefighters

Watch raw helicopter video from WBZ-TV

Watch short clip from WBZ-TV of child being brought to safety

Sixteen people now reported injured in the triple-decker fire in Boston Monday afternoon. A WBZ-TV photographer was on the scene before the first firefighters. Citizens and police had already helped many to safety, but two children remained trapped. On the raw video, you will see people rushing up to the firefighters telling them there is still someone inside.

The video that is most dramatic, is the close call captured by WFXT-TV’s helicopter. Six firefighters working on the roof, suddenly realize it is time to leave. The fire has put some distance between them and the aerial ladder they apparently used to get to the roof. The ladder is extended to reach them. Two-at-a-time, the firefighters get on and ride the ladder as it is rotated to an adjacent roof top. One of the moves appears to almost dump a firefighter off the tip (it appears, by the hand gestures, that it is possibly Firefighter Joe O’Connor from the still picture above). Watch as those waiting to be rescued throw helmets and tools onto the adjoining roof top.

The story below is from wbztv.com:

Fourteen people, including six children, were hurt in a raging triple decker fire in Mattapan Monday afternoon. Two of them were pulled from the burning home in a dramatic rescue.

WBZ-TV image of Firefighter Renard Miller who found one of the children

Miller went to the third floor in search of the other child and heard a “faint cry.”

This is the second fire at the same building in one year. Last March, a fire was sparked on the first flood by faulty wiring. No one was injured in that fire.

(This entry is updated throughout the day, so please scroll down. The latest update was at 11:34 a.m.)

London fire causes a scare: The video at top is of this morning’s vacant (or, as they say in the UK, disused) warehouse fire in East London. The fire is on the site that is being prepared for the 2012 Olympics. The plume, seen for miles around (photo via telegraph.co.uk), had people concerned that this was another terrorist attack. More details here. FireGeezer also has links, but I was alerted to this when my wife woke me up this morning to tell me London was burning. I think I said something like, thank you Edward R. Murrow, now let me go back to sleep.

The right to bare arms and everything else and the right of the news media to cover it

This is our lead story, and the question is, should it be? Thirty years ago, many of us would have laughed and did laugh when someone did something as outrageous or stupid as this. But it is 2007, and the man showing up for work, dressed only in a hat and tie, on his 20th anniversary with the fire department, is an assistant chief. The man is Kenneth Roe, currently on suspension from the Johnson City, NY Fire Department, after WBNG-TV broke the story.

I am sure it is a picture I would run on TV, if it were a local chief officer and it was offered to me. Clearly, this is not a good career move by Chief Roe, and I am sure there are plenty of people who find his actions offensive. But were his motives anything more than just being silly?

On this forum, people often discuss (some say second-guess) the tactics and actions of fire and EMS people making decisions in the middle of an emergency. Well, here is your chance to second-guess the actions of people like me, who make judgements each day about what is news. Should the TV station have run the picture and done this story? Should I have linked to this story on STATter 911? Is this story a big deal, or just a stupid, firehouse prank? Let us know in the comments section below.

It won’t be just us discussing it. The Johnson City Board of Trustees will be bringing it up tonight.

I first saw this story on WithTheCommand.com, which has a link to the newspaper coverage of this story.

Get used to this picture

I don’t think I ran a good picture from the north side of Friday’s train wreck into the Anacostia. 9NEWS NOW photographer Frank McDermott, a bit of a train buff, climbed down to the water from the RFK Stadium lot on Sunday to get this. CSX blames the crash on an unsecured group of coal cars that wandered onto the track on the north bridge. That bridge had been closed because of needed repairs. Now it needs a lot more fixing. Late Sunday afternoon CSX issued a press release saying they wouldn’t be pulling the cars out of the river until they get the proper permits.

Montreal’s firefighters ordered to stop the pressure

The latest in an ongoing labor battle. Excerpts from The Gazette:

Quebec’s Essential Services Council today ordered Montreal’s firefighters to provide basic services to the city.

The tactic left some fire stations without first responders for many hours in one week this month, said Francois Beaubien, a lawyer for the city.

PA fire

The video above from the Reynoldsville Fire Company in Jefferson County, PA of its response on Tuesday to two structures burning. A second video is here.

NJ fire

No information on the house fire above, other than it is on Penn Road and involves the Voorhees Fire Department. This appears to be the last of 8 parts. The rest can be found here.

Air Force firefighting

From the Daytona Daily News, a look at the Air Force’s plans for cut backs and how it relates to firefighting. Here are excerpts:

The Air Force’s ongoing effort to reduce its personnel totals, to save money for new aircraft and weapons, has reached into the firefighter ranks at its bases.

The Air Force is reducing its former authorization of 6,416 firefighter positions system-wide by 14 percent, or 901 positions, over several years. At Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, that has reduced the former authorization of 107 to 91 this year and, ultimately, 82 by Sept. 30, 2008.

Use your thumb to make the fog pattern

Above, a valiant effort using a garden hose on a car fire. No details with the video.

The fire across the street

In Fayetteville
, Arkansas on Saturday, firefighters from Station 6 who might have normally walked across the street to the Taco Bell to grab lunch, responded across the street for a fire. The video above shows they still weren’t able to get there fast enough to save this building. Details here.

Apartment fire in Ottawa

Click the image above to see a fire in August from Ottawa’s Chinatown. Details here. A second video from the fire can be found here.

The latest walk down memory lawn

For some of us, it is now a slow crawl. In case you missed it over the weekend, click the image above to see video of two 1970s fires in DC. Details are here.

Firefighting in Poland

The house siren is still in operation in the video above from a firehouse in Poland.

Probably not the people you want teaching the next auto extrication class

If you haven’t seen it before, this video probably speaks for itself. Watch it the whole way. Two questions. Was this real? Was there someone inside?

(This entry will be updated throughout the weekend. Last updated at 9:32 a.m. on Sunday)

Mess on the Anacostia

Tons of coal spilled into DC’s Anacostia River Friday afternoon after cars from a CSX train derailed. No one was injured, but there are concerns about the structural stability of the railroad bridge. We have more pictures, raw video and news reports, here.

DCFD in the 70s

Some videos from the STATter 911 archives. The top image is a fire that occurred 29 years ago, yesterday. On November 9, 1978, two separate fires were set at the Lacaze-Gardner School at 710 14th Street, NW. The fires came the same day as a Washington Post article about serious problems at the school. About ten days later a student was charged with arson.

The bottom image is the aftermath of a fire at the Cavalier Apartments at 3500 14th Street, NW. This occurred on September 27, 1972.

Watch the video from both of these fires

DCFEMS in the 00s

A little more current, this fire (above) from the 3200 block of O street, SE occurred during the noon hour on Friday. As you can see in the photo taken by P. Garner, there was a lot of fire on side A when firefighters arrived. A DC Department of Transportation worker, Reginald Arno, had already grabbed the 88-year-old man who lives in the house and brought him safely outside. DC Fire & EMS spokesman Alan Etter said the man had failed to open the flue to his fireplace before starting a fire.

A real exposure problem

In Oakland, CA, firefighters checking an adjacent warehouse during a three-alarm fire on Friday, found material stored that was meant to burn. The firefighters walked into a marijuana growing operation. The fire was apparently stopped before it made it that far. But if it had, this might have been a case when the crews ran out of air, no one would care (but the canteen might have run out of food very quickly).

Deadly NC beach fire brings up soffit debate again

A massive fire in Raleigh in February (see report, here), and the fire that killed the college students in Ocean Isle Beach, involved two different type of structures, but there may have been a common theme. Excerpts from an AP report:

State building code officials won’t consider expanding changes to building codes for townhouse soffits unless a report shows it may have been a factor in the beach-house fire that killed seven college students.

An International Code Council official said he had received word that the Ocean Isle Beach fire also began outside and raced through the soffit and into the attic.

A view from above of another fire in Toronto

Before I went to sleep this morning, the pager reported a 4-alarm fire at a construction site in Toronto. The video above is apparently that fire, as viewed from the 13th floor of a neighboring high rise. FireGeezer has details about this latest suspicious fire in Toronto.

Arson in DE

The photo above is from the Dagsboro VFD of a restaurant fire on Route 113 in Frankford early Saturday morning. Details from delmarvanow.com:

The Delaware State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating an early morning structure fire on the 34000 block of DuPont Boulevard.

Delaware State Fire Marshal Investigators have determined the fire was intentional started in the dining portion of the structure. Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Delaware State Fire Marshal’s Office at 302-856-5600.

How many DC firefighters does it take to rescue a light bulb changer?

The answer is in DC Fire & EMS PIO Alan Etter’s video from Thursday. The image above is from St. Paul’s Episcopal Church where a lift almost came crashing down. Check out the video on DCFD.com.

Another standoff ends in fire

Click the image above to see a short video as a ten-hour standoff ends in Douglas County, KS. A house and barn burned as a man was taken into custody by police. Details, here.

Rescue me

Having police officers and firefighters around can be handy in a pinch. You probably heard the story the other day about the off-duty cop and her volunteer fire chief husband rescuing a woman whose car was on the LIRR tracks in Mineola, NY. The video from that event is above.

Fire truck wreck in Philadelphia

One person is reported injured in the wreck above on Friday evening in the Nicetown section of Philadelphia. Some details, here.

Mayday for the soul

The headline above isn’t meant to be cute. Two interesting looks at how and when firefighters should ask for help. One is an article in VAFireNews.com from Roanoke Fire-EMS Department Captain Willie Wines Jr. His department recently dealt with the suicide of a young captain. The other is Dr. Burton Clark’s recent podcast on Firehouse.com.

Send help, or else

In Portsmouth, VA, not the way for a council member to win friends and influence people. This one isn’t a fire or EMS story, but it is 911 he called to get police for his daughter’s car crash. The 911 audio is with the link.

(This entry is updated throughout the day, so please scroll down. Last update 11:30 p.m.)

The remains of former dispatcher and fire photographer Wes Gerald leave the Lincolnia United Methodist Church. Click here for more on the funeral of this long-time friend to the fire service.

Breaking News: Rail cars fall into river. Concern for structural stability of the railroad bridge.

There has been a train derailment in Washington, DC. It is on the CSX tracks over the Anacostia River. DC Fire & EMS Operations Chief Lawrence Schultz said about 10 cars, of an approximately 90 car coal train, have derailed, with at least 6 of the cars falling off the bridge into the river. There are no reports of injuries. A command post has been set up at the skating rink in Anacostia Park on the east side of the river.

Early reports indicate this may involve a runaway train, or portion of a train, but Chief Schultz could not confirm that information.

Chief Schultz, speaking at a 5:00 p.m. press conference, said the first units on the scene, shortly after 3:00 p.m., were the department’s fire boats. Schultz said, for the first half-hour, firefighters searched for possible victims. After consulting with CSX, it was determined there were no victims. Firefighters made sure the train on the west side of the bridge was secure and also placed about one-thousand feet of booms in the river on both sides of the bridge.

Schultz reports there is a sheen on the water that is petroleum based and speculates it might be some sort of brake oil. No locomotives derailed.

There is concern for the structural stability of the bridge. Chief Schultz said as soon as possible, they hope to give the okay to move some of the undamaged cars off of the bridge to reduce the weight on the span. Federal and local transportation officials are on the scene.

This same railroad bridge was shut down for a while late last year so CSX could repair structural problems. Also, the track and signaling in that area, and through nearby Benning Yard, have recently been upgraded.

11:00 p.m. report

6:00 p.m. report

5:00 p.m. report and news conference

An early report from the scene is here

Raw video from the scene is here

More from wusa9.com

Raw video of firefighters forced to watch house burn

For more than two hours, from late Wednesday night until early Thursday morning, Prince George’s County, MD firefighters stood by as a house was destroyed by fire. It happened during a police standoff in Hillcrest Heights. More details and raw video of the fire as it spreads through the home can be found here.

Seat Belt Pledge

The firefighter above was on a different type of campaign when that picture was taken 30-years-ago. Now, he’s Dr. Burton Clark, who along with others, brought the National Fire Service Seat Pledge to Washington, DC. Click here for video excerpts of Thursday’s event and to see a 1977 interview with Dr. Clark.

2 dead in house fire in the Poconos

The picture at top is from the Pocono Record of a deadly blaze that spread to a second home in East Stroudsburg, PA on Thursday. The video shows later stages of the fire. WithTheCommand.com has the details.

Woman who just joined Marines dies in early morning fire in MD

A room and contents fire at a Bethesda home overnight has left a 23-year-old woman dead. Details from wusa9.com.

Raw video of Cleveland fires

The photo above is from The Plain Dealer in Cleveland. The paper and its website have details of two significant fires, just hours apart. One Thursday night and the other early this morning. WKYC-TV has raw video of this morning’s warehouse fire here, here, and here. More video, including a collapse that almost hit two police officers from Thursday night’s blaze. Details from the paper:

Firefighters have been at 1120 and 1146 East 152nd Street since 3 a.m. They got the blaze under control at 6:48 a.m. and were calling for more personnel to relieve the exhausted night shift.

The fire began just hours after the blaze that destroyed two adjoining buildings on West 25th Street. That spectacular fire Thursday night spewed thick black smoke that was visible for miles, even in the dark. The blaze destroyed Priceless Cleaners and Monroe’s Cabaret, an adult entertainment club.

Knot at all cool

Grant Mishoe at SConFire.com is running a story this morning from Columbia, SC where a recruit has been dismissed because of taking lessons learned in a knot tying class quite a bit too far. The Columbia FD says the recruit tied a noose and placed it around the heads of 2 other recruits.

3-year-old’s arm trapped in pool drain

Sun tan oil and other lubricants didn’t work, so firefighters in Lee County, FL (above) sent the child to the hospital, drain pipe and all.

2nd-alarm in Rochester

Everyone escaped from an apartment building (above) that burned at 2:00 a.m. in Rochester, NY.

A thank-you from a firefighter’s mom

As Sgt.Michael LaCore and Firefighter Charlie Shyab continue to make progress at the Washington Hospital Center Burn Unit, we have heard how thankful all of the families are for the support they have received. Sgt. LaCore’s mother, Madeline, has written some of her thoughts on a blog she has at the DVMmoms website. Here is part of what she wrote:

I must have said those two words, at least, a thousand times in the last week. .. And I mean them from the bottom of my heart. Today, Michael’s condition was upgraded from critical to serious. Thank you ALL for your continued prayers and support. Firefighters from as far away as Alaska, Texas, Indiana, Canada, Massachusetts and other states have sent heart felt emails. Retired and active Firefighters from surrounding jurisdictions of Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, Fairfax County, Brandywine, Md., St. Mary’s County, Kentland, Burtonsville and other areas have come to see Mike and support the family. Also, thanks to Harold Schaitberger, President of the International Association of Firefighters, for his visit.

And I can’t say enough about the DC Firefighter’s Burn Foundation who have maintain a 24 hour vigil for Mike and Charlie Shyab at Washington Hospital Center’s MedStar Burn Unit. Both of them have received the best medical care from Dr. Jim Jeng, Dr. Marion Jordan and the medical team of fabulous nurses, doctors and others.

National Mall tunnel hydrant questions answered

STATter 911 has been wondering why “out of service” signs remain on most of the hydrants in the 3rd Street Tunnel more than 2 months after we first reported on the problem. Just a month ago, the DC Department of Transportation (DDOT) told us most of the 28 hydrants had been fixed. Now, a spokesman reports only 5 are still not working. On Thursday, both DDOT and DC Fire & EMS agreed what is needed next is a re-inspection of the hydrants by the fire department. We are told that is in the process of being set up. We will let you know.

Vehicle fire at the pumps

The video above appears to be from Mumbai in India. A crowd gathers and tries to handle a burning car at the fuel pumps. Part 2 is here.

Oops

No details on the video above. Just a description of what you will see: A tractor-trailer driver trying to turn the rig around got more than he bargained for.

His family, friends, Fairfax County and many others made sure there was a proper goodbye for Wesley Gerald. Wes was a dispatcher, supervisor, fire buff, photographer and so much more. He died last Sunday after a long illness. Wes was 43.

With a police helicopter overhead and motorcycles at the lead, Wesley Gerald’s remains were taken by the firefighters of Station 410 from Lincolnia United Methodist Church to St. Paul’s Cemetery on Lincolnia Road. His friends gathered afterwards at Station 408.

By the turnout, it is clear that Wes Gerald’s warm smile and friendship will be missed by many.

Watch excerpts and interviews from Thursday’s announcement

National Seat Belt Pledge website

The number 12 has Dr. Burton Clark shaking his head. That’s how many firefighters have been killed in line-of-duty vehicle collisions, so far this year, who were not wearing seat belts. Clark, who is Management Science Program Chair at the National Fire Academy, takes this personally. He has been sounding the alarm, trying to get firefighters to buckle-up, and sign-up for the National Fire Service Seat Belt Pledge.

Those efforts brought Clark, US Fire Administration Deputy Assistant Administrator Charlie Dickinson, and others to Washington on Thursday. In front of the quarters of DC Fire & EMS Engine 28 & Truck 14, the latest class of recruits took the pledge. Among those joining them with their hands raised, were DC Fire & EMS Chief Dennis Rubin, his assistant and deputy chiefs and IAFF Local 36 president Dan Dugan.

Charlie Dickinson also presented Chief Rubin a $376,000 check from FEMA for the department’s driver training programs. Rubin says this grant will be used to purchase an ambulance driving simulator. The department already has a fire truck simulator.

Supporting this effort to promote firefighter safety were Meri-K Appy with the Home Safety Council and Cathy Hedrick of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

Both Chief Rubin and Dr. Clark talked about their days as young firefighters. It was a time when fire trucks didn’t come equipped with seat belts. Both men spent the early part of their careers in the DC Fire Department.

In the 1970s, before he became Dr. Clark, Firefighter Burton Clark led another campaign in the District of Columbia. He appeared frequently on TV urging the public to install smoke detectors in their homes and apartments. Click below to see a 30-year-old interview with Burton Clark, following a fatal apartment fire on Bowen Road, SE.

Watch October 18, 1977 interview with Firefighter Burton Clark

These days, Burton Clark is doing the interviewing. In the video below, he talks to two firefighter from Libertytown in Frederick County, MD. They tell how seat belts saved their lives after a fire truck crash on I-270 in September.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

It was hurry up and wait for Prince George’s County, MD firefighters Wednesday night. For more than two hours crews watched a single-family home burn and there was little they could do. Firefighters were ordered to stay back as the Prince George’s County Police Department dealt with a man who had barricaded himself in the home in the 2200 block of Iverson Street in Hillcrest Heights.

The incident started around 11:30 p.m. when police were called to the home for a domestic situation. According to a PGFD press release, a woman had left the home, but a man remained inside. Fire and police officials say, while still in the home, the man set it on fire.

The fire department was alerted to the situation around 11:50 p.m. Firefighters kept a safe distance while police worked to peacefully get the man to surrender. It wasn’t until 2:00 a.m. on Thursday when negotiators were able to convince the man to come out. At that point firefighters were allowed to put out the fire.

Fire investigators are now charging 45-year-old Ruxton Sinclair with first-degree arson, second-degree arson, malicious burning and reckless endangerment. Sinclair was taken to the hospital because of injuries sustained during his apprehension and for smoke inhalation.

Damage to the home is estimated at $300,000.

(This entry is updated throughout the day, so please scroll down. Latest update 3:54 p.m.)

Orange County shelter deployment and radio traffic

You may recall, during the week of the Southern California fires, we ran an LA Times photo of firefighters in Orange County having to deploy their emergency shelters. Now, the paper and its web site have put together a series of pictures from that event and combine it with the emergency radio traffic. Click the photo above to see and hear it. The pictures are by Karen Tapia Anderson and the sequence is produced by Bryan Chan. Chief Billy Goldfeder’s The Secret List gave us the heads-up on this.

New update on Sgt. Michael LaCore

DC Fire & EMS Sgt. Michael LaCore, who was upgraded from critical to serious condition after being burned in the fire on 4th Street, NE, has been moved to the step down unit at the WHC Burn Unit. Sgt. LaCore and FF Charlies Shyab, who is in fair condition, are both expected to be getting treatment at WHC for a while.

Video of the day: Very early video of UK fire

The fire above was this morning at the Palmeira Bodyworks panel shop in Hove. Apparent concerns about propane cylinders. Person across the street grabbed the video camera before firefighters arrived. Details, here.

Riviera Beach guilty plea and the latest on Kenneth Hyde

As a reporter I had never seen anything quite like it. Earlier this year, two front page stories on two separate scandals, in two different jurisdictions, and the same person was at the center of each. Of course, I am talking about Kenneth Hyde who was in charge of training when a Baltimore City fire recruit died and was a volunteer chief in Anne Arundel County. Today, The Baltimore Sun reports the former treasurer of the Riviera Beach VFC, Kelly McColl, has admitted using $50,000 of department funds for his personal use.

FireGeezer has been covering this one, too.

As for Kenneth Hyde, here is what The Sun writes:

County police spokeswoman Sarah Schriver said police continue to investigate allegations of misconduct at the firehouse. She declined to elaborate.

Hyde’s attorney, Peter S. O’Neill, said, “We’re not aware of any ongoing investigation as it relates to any impropriety on his behalf.”

Getting out of the kitchen

Also in CA, the Chula Vista chief is saying goodbye. The reasons include a no confidence vote by the union, budget cuts and criticism of the department’s handing of the recent fires. Read the story, here.

Deputy sheriff grabs hose, FireNews.net gets heat

FireNews.net covers it all in North Carolina. When they ran the above picture and started a thread on safety issues, they heard from a firefighter who was on the call in Sylva and believes the web site didn’t get the complete story. Check it out, here. (you will need to register to read the discussion).

Georgia lumber yard

Flames high in the sky as a lumberyard burned in Gwinnett County Wednesday night. See raw video and other TV coverage here. The picture above from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Gwinnett County firefighters battled a massive fire at a Norcross lumberyard Wednesday night, with flames reaching high above Buford Highway and threatening neighboring businesses.

“It overwhelmed us in a hurry,” Moon said.

DC hydrants catch the eye of Bloomberg

Not the mayor himself, but bloomberg.com looks at DC’s water problem.

On this topic, one month ago, DC’s Department of Transportation told me most of the hydrants were fixed in the 3rd Street Tunnel complex under the National Mall. I was in the tunnel on Wednesday and the “out of service” rings seemed to still be in place on the same hydrants we first told you about at the end of August. Guess I will have to make some more phone calls.

2nd-alarm in PA

Click here to see a lot more pictures like the ones above by TF1 from the fire Wednesday in Mayfield, PA. News coverage reports the fire began in the basement and eventually came through roof. WithTheCommand.com and 59Fire.com passed along the pictures.

Warehouse fire in Iowa

The fire above was in the warehouse for Fawn Creek Homes in Anamosa, Jones County, Iowa.

For some beer is an emergency

But calling 911 for a 6 pack. This guy needs to watch those public service announcements from Tennessee that I ran on Monday. Maybe he should watch them five or six-hundred times.

Click the image above to see WXIA-TV’s raw video of the lumberyard fire

Our sister station in Atlanta, WXIA-TV, is covering a lumberyard fire tonight in Gwinnett County, GA. See raw video above. A special report is here. The story below was filed shortly after 9:00 p.m.:

Gwinnett Police and Fire crews are working an active lumberyard fire at the Norcross Supply Company, at 500 South Peachtree Street, just off Jimmy Carter Blvd. in Norcross.

Amtrak officials said the #20 Crescent train from New Orleans is being held at the Atlanta Amtrak station.

(This entry is updated throughout the day, so please scroll down. Last update at 12:08 p.m.)

Sgt. Michael LaCore’s condition now officially upgraded

A bit of an update from the WHC Burn Unit. We have been told that Sgt. Michael LaCore was extubated on Monday, one week after being burned at a house fire on 4th Street, NE. Doctors had been checking closely in recent days to verify any swelling had gone down and now are allowing him to breath on his own.

This morning, at 8:30 a.m., WHC announced that Sgt. LaCore’s condition has been upgraded to serious.

Firefighter Charles Shyab continues to be treated at the burn unit and WHC says he is still in fair condition.

Sgt. LaCore’s mother Madeline told me on Monday that she hoped to read to him some of the messages we passed on to her from firefighters around the US and Canada. You can read them, here.

Above is BBC coverage of the three firefighter’s bodies being removed from the Warwickshire fire

Firefighters bodies recovered in UK

The Independent reports the latest on the Warwickshire tragedy:

Rescue teams have found the bodies of three firefighters who went missing during the blaze in a warehouse in Atherstone on Stour, despite the search being suspended for several hours because the wreckage had become too dangerous.

The first body had been found in the early hours of yesterday morning, said Chief Superintendent Ken Lawrence, of Warwickshire Police. Members of the nine specialist search teams announced they thought they had found the others just before 8pm.

Firefighter tries to save his grandmother

In Baltimore County on Tuesday, the house fire above claimed the life of a 71-year-old woman. One of the volunteer firefighters from the English Consul VFD (Station 37) on the first engine to arrive was the woman’s grandson. See the story, here.

Propane explosion

Investigators in Baltimore have a lot of questions to ask a man burned when a propane tank exploded inside his home in Hampden. Four children were also injured. See the story, here.

Arrest in DC Good Guys case

The man suspected of setting a strip club manager on fire has been arrested. Vasile Graure, a Romanian citizen, was picked up at an Alexandria, Virginia hotel Tuesday night.

It was Saturday that the manager/bartender at Good Guys on Wisconsin Avenue in Glover Park was splashed with gasoline and set on fire. Police say Graure had been thrown out of the club for taking pictures of the dancers with his phone. Police sources claim that Graure walked up the street to a service station and bought a plastic can of gasoline and a lighter.

We are also learning more about the manager’s intervention in preventing a tragedy. The manager is in critical condition at the WHC Burn Unit.

As suspected, police say Graure has second-degree burns to his arms. He is being treated at a different hospital. I’ll have more here and on TV later today.

A fire on a deck, plus 50 mph winds in Michigan

No one injured in the apartment fire, above, in Spring Lake, Michigan. Fire department feels it was lucky to stop it where they did.

Getting what you pay for

In California a consultant has told the Thousand Oaks City Council that they are paying the Ventura County Fire Protection District $32 million for $26 million dollars worth of protection. Read the suggestions for closing the $6 million gap.

Not over and Dunn

The image above shows volunteer firefighters in Dunn, NC walking out of a city council meeting, unhappy with the decision to delay the purchase of new fire trucks. The question is, where any threats made to withhold services? Read and see the story, here,

I always wondered what that big button was for

According to the write-up with the video above, when a pick-up truck caught fire at a convenience store with gas pumps in Illinois on Sunday night, the clerk had no clue that there was an emergency shut-off for the pumps. Apparently it turned out not to be a factor.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Seat Belt Pledge

(This entry is updated throughout the day, so please scroll down. Latest update at 11:37 a.m.)

(Note: There have been technical issues with the blog today where it will suddenly revert to an older entry at the top of the page. We are trying to solve the problem.)

From The Guardian

The latest from the UK

A body of one of the missing firefighters in Warwickshire has been recovered. Here is an excerpt from an article in The Guardian:

Firefighters have recovered the body of one of their missing colleagues who died in a warehouse fire in Warwickshire, emergency services reported this morning. Glen Ranger, head of the fire and rescue service for the county, said that he was certain that the body recovered at the collapsed vegetable packing factory was one of the three missing firemen.

Mr Ranger added that no time limit had been placed on the search. “We will not cease our operations until these firefighters are once again back with their families,” he said.

School fire in the UK

Above, early video as the first of 6 pumps arrive at an abandoned school. It happened on October 27th and the details can be found here.

Explosion in Salem

Boston.com is reporting a boiler explosion at a power plant in Salem, MA:

Emergency crews responded to a boiler explosion at the Salem Harbor Power Plant early Tuesday that sent three people to the hospital with serious injuries.

They were believed to be suffering from burn injuries but hazmat teams were called to the scene following reports of ash in the air.

More about Firefighter Jeremy Wach

Jeremy Wach, a volunteer firefighter, died early Monday morning in a house fire in Wymore, NE. Details about his life and death can be found in this story.

Chief Billy Goldfeder with FirefighterCloseCalls.com has some new information on this LODD:

As a follow-up to yesterdays tragic LODD in Wymore (NE), the autopsy shows that Firefighter Jeremy Wach died from asphyxiation following the roof collapse. According to the report, he was trapped and the weight of the roof on him, crushed him, making it impossible to breathe or escape.

Wach is survived by his wife, Melissa, and two sons, one less than a year old and the other 3. Funeral arrangements are pending and will be posted on our home page.

FireGeezer discusses roof collapses in his Morning Lineup column. The Geeze is also back on the Deutsche Bank case in New York.

Funeral arrangements for Wes Gerald

Details on the viewing and funeral for former dispatcher and fire photographer Wesley Gerald can be found here.

LAFD in action

Above, good raw video of an apartment fire and an apparent cardiac arrest. No information on where and when.

National Guard under investigation over CA fires

Did a military police company from the California National Guard take donated items intended for victims of the recent wildfires? That’s the main question from an investigation now underway.

Off-duty firefighters make rescue

No date on this news coverage of Bayonne, NJ firefighters responding to cries for help. I love the line that the department won’t let the guys who made the rescue talk on TV.

Stolen fire trucks

And guess who admits to stealing them. Read the story about 2 fire commissioners from Tom’s River, NJ.

Now it’s personal

In Loda, Illinois they have been dealing with a firebug. The latest victim is a firefighter who had his own garage torched.

26 years ago in Gary

Above, a TV brief from 1981 teasing an industrial fire that injured the fire chief and others in Gary, Indiana.

Somebody is thinking

I have heard lots of talk about 911 abuse or misuse, but have not seen anyone in the Washington area try a public service announcement like the one above. A second PSA is here.

And finally, Violet is blue (probably black and blue)

Not sure if any fire or EMS people helped out in this technical rescue of Violet in the video above, but it is Sam Statter’s favorite of the day. My soon to be 8-year-old boy usually has good judgment in these matters.

(This entry is update throughout the day. Last updated at 5:24 p.m.)

KETV-TV images of FF Jeremy Wach and the house fire in Wymore, Nebraska where he died.

LODD in Nebraska

The volunteer firefighter killed at a house fire in Wymore, Nebraska very early this morning was also in charge of the Gage County Detention Center. More about Firefighter Jeremy Wach can be found here.

Chief Billy Goldfeder at FirefighterCloseCalls.com also has some details:

We regret to advise you that 31-year-old Wymore (Nebraska) FF Jeremy Wach was killed this morning at a single family dwelling fire. In addition to being a Wymore Firefighter, he was a Gage County Sheriff’s Deputy.

FF Jeremy Wach leaves behind a wife and 2 small kids. As always, our deepest sympathy to all effected, especially the family of FF Wach and the members of the WFD. More details to follow.

Messages for the injured DC firefighters

In case you haven’t seen the many comments from around the US and Canada wishing a speedy recovery for the 4 injured DC firefighters we have gathered them here. At last word Sgt. Michael LaCore and Firefighter Charles Shyab were making progress with their treatment at the Washington Hospital Center Burn Unit.

In the video above, former Kent chief fire officer and private fire consultant Gary Whitworth says a firefighter’s job is very difficult. Speaking to Sky’s Mark Longhurst he discusses possible causes of the Warwickshire fire.

The latest on UK LODDs

They are still searching for the bodies of three firefighters inside the warehouse. Above, a recent BBC report. Below, we have links to other UK news reports on the tragedy.

BBC’s coverage.

The Guardian’s coverage.

The Telegraph answers questions about the fire.

Weekend coverage from STATter 911.

Wesley Gerald funeral arrangements

Dispatcher and fire photographer Wesley Gerald is fondly remembered by firefighters in Fairfax County and the region. FireGeezer writes about Wes. Also, FossilMedic, AKA Mike Ward, has a wonderful column on Wes.

You can find the funeral arrangements for Wes, here.

Video of the day, interior attack: FDNY in action

Good video (above), as FDNY handles an apartment fire on the top floor of a 3-story apartment building.

Video of the day, exterior attack: 3 homes in Irvington, NJ

Above, 5 minutes of raw video of fire in 3 homes on Sunday morning. Reports indicate one home was set on fire by ex-girlfriend seeking revenge.

Fairfax County, VA Station 410

A video montage (above) posted on YouTube Sunday. It also includes at least one Wes Gerald picture.

ASU fire

Above, early video from a fire Thursday on-campus at Arizona State University. Details, here.

East Orange fire

Not a lot of detail on the above fire from NJ.

Fire in Malaysia

Above, more than 7 minutes of raw video as firefighters arrive at a house fire (supposedly a government owned building) in Penang.

Firefighting in Japan

Above, is a bit of an interesting look at crews fighting a commercial building fire in Asahiawa, Japan on September 14 (doesn’t say what year).

DC Fire Training Academy and some good news

With all of the distractions of late (staph infections, firefighter candidate’s death, burned DC firefighter), it is nice to see just the routine events. The video above taken during a timed practice of getting the gear on.

Working fire response

Click the image above to see the video from Loudoun County, VA, of Ashburn VFC’s Engine 623 responding to a townhouse fire in Sterling. At about 2:30 into the 8 minute response, you will see a bit of a close call at a controlled intersection (the still frame above is that moment from the video).

The messages for the injured DC firefighters continue to come in from around the US and Canada. If you don’t check out the comments section of STATter 911, you probably haven’t seen the thoughtful words from fellow firefighters and others. I have copied them below.

They have also been printed out and copies given to DC Fire & EMS to forward to the families of the injured firefighters.

Thank you all and thanks to Chief Billy Goldfeder of FirefighterCloseCalls.com for providing the link for many who may not have been aware of it.

As more come in, we will add to this.

To our brother firefighters in DC. Our prayers and thoughts are with each of you and your families during this challenging time. From all of us in Fairfax Co. we wish all of you a speedy recovery !
November 1, 2007 10:55 AM

God Bless them!
November 1, 2007 11:54 AM

TO ALL OF OUR BROTHERS IN DC, OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES DURING THIS DIFFICULT TIME. GET WELL SOON! FROM ALL OF US IN JOLIET, IL
November 1, 2007 12:48 PM

Our prayers are with you. Your brothers – Albuquerque Fire Department
November 1, 2007 12:54 PM

From your Brothers in Elyria, Ohio, IAFF Local 474, you remain in our thoughts and prayers.
November 1, 2007 1:07 PM

Our thoughts and prayers are with you. Good Intent Hose Co No 1 Llewellyn Pa
November 1, 2007 1:30 PM

Our thoughts and prayers are with our brothers and their families.
November 1, 2007 1:32 PM

Our thoughts and prayers are with our brethren and their loved ones.
To everyone, be safe!
November 1, 2007 1:34 PM

OUR PRAYERS GO OUT TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THEIR FAMILIES OF D.C. FIRE DEPARTMENT FROM THE MEMBERS OF INDIANA REGIONAL TASK FORCE 7 RESPONSE TEAM
November 1, 2007 1:35 PM

OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU FROM YOUR BOTHERS AT LOCAL 4049: MASON OHIO
November 1, 2007 2:18 PM

My thoughts and prayers are with all my brothers in D.C. and their families. Stay strong. Springfield, MO
November 1, 2007 6:09 PM

To our brothers in D.C., our prayers are with you, your families and the department. From Fairbanks, Alaska
November 1, 2007 6:49 PM

The Anne Arundel County Retired Firefighters Association will keep the brothers in their thoughts and prayers in the coming days. We wish you a speedy recovery.
November 1, 2007 7:13 PM

Stay strong brothers. Hoping for a speedy recovery for you from E-7/L-1 FDNY.
November 1, 2007 8:22 PM

Our thoughts and prayers are with your injured firefighters and their families. Local 413, Rockford, IL.
November 1, 2007 9:30 PM

To our Brothers in DC, we will keep you in our thoughts and prayers. E5/L1 Albany NY Local 2007
November 1, 2007 9:41 PM

Know that our thoughts and prayers are with your injured firefighters and their families as well. God bless you all. From your Firefighter Brothers at Station 40, Sunbury Volunteer Fire Department, Sunbury, NC.
# posted by Captain 847 : November 1, 2007 10:08 PM

From your Brothers and Sisters of Local 333 Springfield OH, you are all in our thoughts and prayers. God Bless.
November 1, 2007 10:11 PM

From all the brothers at Darien-Woodridge Illinois Local #3437, we want to wish you and your families all the best wishes for speedy recoveries God Bless.
November 1, 2007 10:29 PM

To all of our Brothers in DC, our thoughts are with you. Stay strong.
Local 2919, SeaTac Washington
November 1, 2007 11:09 PM

God’s blessings on you in your times of trouble. To all our brothers in DC, our prayers go with you and your families. Get well soon! E1/ T1 Columbia TN. local 4381
November 1, 2007 11:30 PM

To our brothers and their families, you are in our thoughts and our prayers for a speedy recovery!
K Mach
Williston Park FD
November 1, 2007 11:38 PM

To all of the Brothers in DC, our thoughts and prayers are with you, stay strong and we pray for a speedy recovery. E23,Local 1997
November 2, 2007 12:25 AM

To all of our BROTHERS in DC, our thoughts and prayers are with you and yor families. Engine Co. 8 Edison Division of Fire, Edison, NJ
November 2, 2007 9:42 AM

To our Brothers in D.C.,our thoughts and prayers are with you and your families.Get Well Soon!
From All Of Us In Colorado!
November 2, 2007 6:51 PM

To all our Brother’s and Sister’s in D.C. our prayers and thoughts are with each of you and your families.
God Bless
Rescue 10
Houston Fire Department
November 2, 2007 8:16 PM

best wishes, our thoughts are prayers are with all of you.
Kent Fire. Kent Wa.
November 2, 2007 8:18 PM

To our brother,s in DC from Greeley, CO, Local 888, our thoughts and prayers are with you all.
November 2, 2007 8:23 PM

God Bless our Brothers in DC…Our prayers are with you and your families….
Tamarac Fire Rescue
# posted by R Low : November 2, 2007 8:24 PM

May God bless all of you in your efforts to a speedy recovery. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you. Get well soon.
Lt. Martinez Oswego Fire Dept. IL
November 2, 2007 8:38 PM

We thank you Almighty God that our DC Brothers are still with us. We pray for each one and their families, ease their pain and and bless them with a speedy recovery. Firefighters of the Sequatchie (TN) Vol. Fire Dept.
November 2, 2007 8:46 PM

To our brothers in DC, you and your families are in our thoughts and prayers
Washington Fire Dept. Washington Maine
November 2, 2007 9:09 PM

You are in our thoughts and prayers from your brothers in the State of Maine
November 2, 2007 9:18 PM

To our brothers and there families in DC, our thoughts and prayers are with you from Fairhaven, Ma. IAFF local 1555
November 2, 2007 9:27 PM

To our Brothers in DC, from your brothers in Matawan NJ,Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your families.Keep your spirits high and get well !
Sta.29-4 Engine 2977 Fire/Rescue
# posted by Captain Dennis E Sampson : November 2, 2007 9:35 PM

To all of our brothers and sisters, their families and loved ones in DC, Our sincerest thoughts and prayers are with you always, especially at this time. From all of the Mississauga Firefighters Local 1212 Ontario Canada
November 2, 2007 9:36 PM

May the lord be with them. We could only hope that this doesn’t become a normle in our line of duty
November 2, 2007 9:48 PM

Thoughts and Prayers with thhose injured and their families from Canada.
November 2, 2007 9:55 PM

YOU ARE IN OUR PRAYERS BROTHERS FROM TALLADEGA FIRE DEPARTMENT!
TALLADEGA FIRE/RESCUE
TALLADEGA, AL
November 2, 2007 10:04 PM

To our brothers in DC, we are praying for you and your families. Let us know if we can help in any way. God bless,
Cleveland Firefighters-IAFF L93
November 2, 2007 10:14 PM

In our thought and prayers, DC’s Bravest….Your brothers at Eng. Co. 73, Noblesvill
e In.
November 2, 2007 10:28 PM

Brothers and Sisters of D.C. FD. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all and your families. May the lord be with you and bless the injured with a speedy recovery. Be safe. LFD Lexington, KY
November 2, 2007 10:39 PM

GOD BLESS & WATCH OVER THE BROTHERS OF ENGINE 4, THEIR FAMILIES & DCFD. OUR THOUGHTS & PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU FROM NEWARK FIREFIGHTERS LOCAL 109
November 2, 2007 11:05 PM

God Bless you and Yours in this time of need, may god be with you and your families throughout these troubling times.
River Oaks Volunteer Fire Department, River Oaks, Texas
November 3, 2007 12:33 AM

Stay strong as a family. May God heal all your wounds and give you strength. All of our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Glendale Fire Department, Arizona
Local 493
# posted by Alex : November 3, 2007 2:05 AM

Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you in DC…God Bless……Eng.4/Ladder4, Indianapolis FD
November 3, 2007 7:52 AM

Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your families during these trying times. Your brothers and sisters from Twinsburg Firefighters Local 3630. Twinsburg, Ohio
November 3, 2007 8:11 AM

Get well soon brothers, we are praying for you. Your brothers at Local 2969, Brevard County, FL.
November 3, 2007 9:12 AM

FDNY Prays for a Speedy recovery for all the Brothers in DC
# posted by Anonymous : November 3, 2007 11:33 AM
Thoughts & Prayers with you guys! Hope for a Fast recovery for all injured. Your brothers- Local 3169 Marion County, Fl.
November 3, 2007 2:05 PM

Our thoughts and prayers are with the firefighters and their families as they recover from this horrible flashover! quick work in getting these firefighters out of the building, Hats off to the DC fire dept. God bless.
# posted by Lt. Robert Brown FDNY L-120 : November 3, 2007 2:26 PM

To the entire DCFD, I want to express my concern and hope for Sgt. Lacore’s speedy recovery. Hang in there and God Speed.
With the Utmost Respect,
Patrick Lenzi
Chief, Brookfield Fire Department
Brookfield, Illinois
# posted by Pat Lenzi : November 3, 2007 2:29 PM

get well and god bless
# posted by red bud fire dept, IL : November 3, 2007 5:54 PM

DC Firefighters are in our thoughts and prayers. Get well soon.
Burlington KY Fire/EMS Local 4521
E701/L710
November 3, 2007 6:55 PM

Get Well and God Bless
Wenham Fire Department
November 3, 2007 9:52 PM

Our thoughts and prayers are with the DC firefighters and their families. God Bless.
The members of the Manitowoc Fire Department Command Staff and IAFF Local 368.
November 3, 2007 10:37 PM

Hey guys, may God be with you. Hang in there.
November 4, 2007 12:07 AM

Get Well and God Bless ‘ Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company , Magnolia Delaware .
November 4, 2007 9:16 AM

TO ALL THE BROTHERS IN D.C.,
GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES. OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU.
-JOLIET, IL IAFF LOCAL 44 & 2369
November 4, 2007 10:06 AM

Get Well D.C. Brothers Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your families. Local 4007 ACFR Charlottesville,Va
# posted by Smitty : November 4, 2007 1:47 PM

GOD BLESS YOU ALL BROTHERS AND SISTERS. YOU ARE ALL IN OUR THOUGHTS AND ARE PRAYERS. GET WELL SOON!!!!!
November 4, 2007 3:41 PM

Our thoughts and prayers are with the couragous brothers and their families during this unfortunate time. Take care and God be with you during this entire ordeal. From your brothers at Local 3449, Wittmann, Arizona.
November 4, 2007 7:40 PM

May God protect and continue to heal all those affected, and our prayers are with all the DC Fire Dept members.
# posted by Katrina : November 5, 2007 9:39 AM

May God be with you all and know that you are in our prayers.Be strong be faithful. Nassau County Fire Rescue Nassau County Florida.
November 5, 2007 9:48 AM

My prayers are with you, continue the fight. – Fire Instructor Tom Covert – Southwest Wisconsin
# posted by Tom Covert : November 5, 2007 10:42 AM

In our thoughts and prayers, Your brothers, Englewood NJ FD,IAFF Local 3260, IAFF Local 3263
November 5, 2007 11:26 AM

OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH ALL OF YOU. FROM YOUR BROTHERS & SISTERS @ A.F. DOBLER HOSE & LADDER CO., GIRARD, PA
November 5, 2007 12:30 PM

You are in our thoughts and prayers. We wish all the courage to persevere and a speedy recovery.
Santa Clara Co., Calif. Firefighters
November 5, 2007 12:30 PM

TO MY FELLOW BROTHERS IN FIRE I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE MY DEEPEST REGRETS TO YOUR RECENT INJURIES, MY GOD BE WITH YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES AND LET HIM BE YOUR GUIDE TO RECORVERY FROM YOUR BROTHERS IN FIRE HERE IN CLINTON,MISSISSIPPI
# posted by JCADDY : November 5, 2007 12:52 PM

The Brothers and Sisters of Littleton Fire Rescue are with you in thoughts and prayers. Littleton Fire Rescue #2086.
November 5, 2007 5:15 PM

To all in DC, Keep the Faith. The 240 brothers from the Manchester Firefighters Local 856 up in New Hampshire are with you.
# posted by S Barton E11/T1 : November 5, 2007 7:58 PM
GOD BLESS YOU MY BROTHERS YOU ARE IN OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS.
NORTH MYRTLE BEACH FIRE RESCUE
E751 NMB, SC
November 6, 2007 1:41 AM

From your Brother’s and sisters in Oklahoma. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Continue to FIGHT!
November 6, 2007 10:27 AM

Get well soon! Our thoughts and prayers from Sparks, NV Local 1265.
November 6, 2007 12:45 PM

Your Brothers & Sisters from the Seattle Fire Deptartment, join in prayer for you, and your families… Godspeed.
November 6, 2007 2:52 PM

The members of Bolingbrook Il local 3005 are keeping our brothers in our prayers and wish for the speediest of recoveries
November 6, 2007 4:18 PM

May G-d bless all affected by this fire.Our prayers are with you. From your brothers of Mount Vernon Fire Dept.(NY).
November 7, 2007 12:59 AM

Word that Wesley Gerald passed away Sunday at the age of 43. Long in declining health, Wesley retired earlier this year from Fairfax County’s 911 center. He was known as a top notch fire dispatcher, an excellent fire photographer and a friend to firefighters everywhere.

His friend Ricky Riley, who provided these pictures, tells us that Wesley’s love of fire photography began in high school. In those days his mother Jill drove him to fires.

I first met Wesley Gerald about 25 years ago during our midnight runs with the late Sheldon Levy, who was then a freelance videographer in Washington. Wes was always a joy to be around.

Here is the official word sent out by Joel Kobersteen with IAFF Local 2068:

It is with great sadness that the leadership of the Fairfax County Professional Fire Fighters & Paramedics informs you of the death of Retired Local 2068 brother Wesley Gerald. Brother Gerald passed away this morning after a long, but bravely fought, illness.

Arrangements will be forwarded when they are made available.

Bill Schumm has more on Wes at FireGeezer.

Some people are remembering Wes on thewatchdesk.com.

(This entry is updated throughout the day, so please scroll down. Latest update, Sunday, 12:13 p.m.)

Picture of the day: 3 people died in this tanker crash on I-95 in East Lyme, CT on Friday. This is a Christopher E. Jones, New York Times photo. For the story, click here.

Injured DC firefighters

On Friday, DC Fire & EMS stopped the regular daily updates on the condition of Sgt. Michael LaCore and Firefighter Charles Shyab. LaCore remains in critical condition and Shyab in fair.

If you haven’t had a chance to check out the comments from around the U.S. and Canada, as other firefighters send their best wishes to the injured crew from Engine 4, you can see it here.

Video of the day: Tragic fire in UK (above)

Click BBC image above to see slide show

Pictures via the Evening Standard. L-R, John Averis, 27, Ashley Stephens, 20, and Darren Yates-Badley, 24. They also have the story of how Firefighter Stephens’ father, a watch commander at Alcester Fire Station, made the decision to send firefighters in because of the concern about the possibility of migrant workers inside.

One British firefighter dead. Urban search and rescue crews look for 3 missing firefighters, believed dead.

Here is the latest from Warwickshire via The Guardian Unlimited:

More than 100 specially trained urban search and rescue firefighters are beginning the task of locating three of their comrades who are missing, feared dead in the shell of a burnt-out warehouse.

The nine rescue teams, each made up of a dozen firefighters from services all over the UK have seen action in the aftermath of major earthquakes around the world, said assistant chief fire officer Jon Hall, of the Hereford and Worcester service which has taken over the search.

Chief Billy Goldfeder, with FirefighterCloseCalls.com, posted late Saturday afternoon:

Very sadly, hopes are fading for the missing Firefighters at that suspicious warehouse fire in Warwickshire, U.K. As we sent out last night, 1 FF died after being pulled from the fire at that vegetable packing plant located in Atherstone on Stour. 3 more Firefighters are still missing. The fire is now reported to have been extinguished but conditions are difficult for entry. Reports are that the roof had collapsed and the 3 Firefighters who were unaccounted for had not been seen since early in the evening. Companies responded to the site of the fire, the Atherstone Industrial park shortly before 1800 GMT on Friday. Matt Wrack, General Secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU…link below), says the potential loss of 4 Firefighters would make the incident the worst loss of life among its members since 1972. (See UK LODD history below).

Latest BBC story is here.

Here is more video.

Even more video.

List of previous UK firefighter fatalities.

Investigation will look into tactics.

They left the church in a classic fire engine. One of the firefighters was married just last month. Read the story.

FireGeezer is also on this story and here is his Sunday update.

Here is the story from the Warwickshire web site and here is the home page for Warwickshire Fire Rescue.

Here is the latest from Reuters:

Rescue teams resumed their search on Sunday for three firefighters missing feared dead after a suspicious blaze destroyed a warehouse in Warwickshire.

Union leaders said that if the missing firefighters are confirmed dead it would be the fire service’s worst loss of life in decades.

2 dead in 108 vehicle wreck

The raw video above from Fresno, CA. A 6-year-old boy and a 28-year-old man are dead in the 7:45 a.m. chain-reaction wreck on a fog-shrouded Highway 99. A second video is here. Details, here.

Motel fire in BC

5:30 Saturday morning and a motel in Surry, British Columbia is burning. Good early video.

E-One’s future

Ocala.com asks the question “could an eventual sale of firetruck manufacturer E-One by its corporate owner be possible?” Read the article here.

Hill arsonist

On Friday, the Congressional Fire Services Institute had Capitol Hill staffers getting first hand firefighting experience at MFRI in College Park, MD. The skills might come in handy. About the same time, another fire was being set in a Senate Office Building. It is at least the 7th similar arson since late September. Almost all of them in women’s restrooms. You can watch the report by 9NEWS NOW reporter Gary Reals here.

Two set fires, one arrest

In Frostburg, MD a 19 year old New York man is charged with setting a closet in an apartment on fire. No charges in another arson at Frostburg Stater University.

MA house fire

3 alarms were sounded for the fire above. It happened on Friday in Malden, MA.

Demotion in Ohio

The Westlake fire chief is now busted back to firefighter, with a $30,000 drop in salary. He is accused of having firefighters work as mechanics on vehicles belonging to his family.

3 alarms in NJ

A brief glimpse of master streams in operation at a fire, Thursday, in North Bergen. Details are here.

Flame thrower

Of all of the stupid people who play with fire, video themselves and show it on YouTube, this guy (above) is clearly looking for a Darwin award. A water gun filled with gasoline. Brilliant, huh. For his sake, let’s hope he has a good hospital burn unit near where he lives.

Charles County, MD auto fire

Newburg VFD handles a car fire on Route 301.

AZ fire

Fire in Sierra Vista, AZ on Friday destroys a home. Details here. More video from a different angle is here.

Fire in New Zealand

This seems to be the story to go with the fire above in Aukland on Friday.

Laytonsville VFD

Above is a 10 minute video on the Laytonsville VFD (Station 17, or 717) in Montgomery County, MD

(This entry is updated throughout the day, so please scroll down. Last update at 5:10 p.m.)

Domino effect: A report of an explosion around 10:00 this morning on the upper floors of the landmark Domino Sugars plant in Baltimore. The picture above from WBAL-TV. A Baltimore City Fire Department spokesman says 3-alarms have been called and that the fire was kept in check by the sprinkler system. WJZ-TV has a special report, here and raw video, here. The raw video has been alternating between a roof-top camera and ground video that shows windows broken out on the top floor.

Friday morning update from the WHC Burn Unit

At 11:00 a.m., here is what DC Fire & EMS reports about Sgt. Michael LaCore and Firefighter Charles Shyab:

Sergeant Michael LaCore remains in critical – but stable condition in the Burn Intensive Care Unit at MedStar. There has been no significant change since yesterday. Many weeks of rehabilitation and therapy are ahead for Sgt. LaCore.

Firefighter Charlie Shyab has been upgraded to good condition. His burns encompass an area described as 30 % of his body with about 10% being third degree burns. He, too, has many weeks of rehabilitation and therapy ahead.

Alan Etter, who has been keeping us updated all week, writes that this is likely the last daily update on the conditions of the two men.

Also, check out some comments, Thursday afternoon, from Sgt. LaCore’s mother, Madeline. She beautifully explained, in very few words, the support the families have been getting. I tried to explain it on TV the other day, and compared to Madeline’s words, failed miserably.

The same page also has a bunch of stories we did on former DC firefighter Joe Morgan’s nearly fatal burns, including an interview on Wednesday. If you missed our story on Dino and Dania Mahaffey, who unfortunately got to know the burn unit equally as well, click here. The Mahaffey’s visited the families on Wednesday.

Shortly after Chief Billy Goldfeder sent out one of our links on The Secret List on Thursday, we began receiving wonderful messages for the injured DC firefighters from their colleagues around the nation. One came from Fairbanks, Alaska. You can read the comments by clicking here and going to the bottom of the page. We will forward them to the families.

Manhattan 3rd alarm

Good raw video from this morning’s fire in Inwood that slightly injured a dozen firefighters. Details of the Sherman Avenue blaze can be found here.

Monday dedication

Tom Olshanski at the USFA, and Pete Piringer with Montgomery County DFRS, remind us the bronze sculpture depicting the flag raising in New York on 9/11, will be dedicated on Monday at 10:00 a.m. To Lift a Nation, designed by Stan Watts, is at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Park in Emmitsburg, MD. The ceremony is being called an “FDNY sanctioned event”. I saw it during the NFFF Memorial Weekend and it is big. That’s my picture above. For more photos and info, click here.

The Marines on Ray Downey

Speaking of 9/11, here’s an interesting article in a military publication on the FNDY’s Chief Ray Downey’s relationship with the Marine Corps.

More fires on the Hill

This probably is a good illustration of just how frustrating finding an arsonist can be. Since 9/11/2001, one of the places in Washington, DC where an enormous amount of money has been spent to increase security, including a dramatic increase in police staffing, is the U.S. Capitol complex. This morning, there are reports of another fire set in a women’s rest room and two more suspicious scenes at the Senate Office Buildings. This makes at least 7 fires since last month, and police said this morning, there are no suspects. More details here.

In San Diego city attorney releases critical fire review

San Diego City Attorney Mike Aguirre says officials waited too long to evacuate Rancho Bernardo and had no evacuation plan. Here is some of what NCTimes.com wrote:

Aguirre also said all government leaders, himself included, had ignored years of advice from fire officials and fire task forces to clear brush and vegetation that helped spread the devastating wildfires.

“I just want us to recognize that we let the public down, and not pat ourselves on the back and say ‘What a good job we did,’ ” Aguirre said.

New video of the day: Trailers burning in NJ

The person shooting the video above arrived more than five minutes before the
first engine appears. Good raw video of the attack on a number of trailers burning on Wednesday in Carlstadt.

Video of the day: West Coast feed

The video above is from a two-alarm fire early Wednesday morning in San Jose. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries. It is blamed on an iron that was left unattended. This is part 1 of 3 parts. The rest of the videos have the initial attack by the fire department and can be found here.

From Susan Whitney at The Gazette

Budget cuts at PGFD

Some belt tightening in Prince George’s County. The Gazette newspaper (picture above) looks at the details and reaction from volunteer departments.

Man bites dog, or in other words … news

Is it me or is this story from Milwaukee something you never or rarely see? Facing budget cuts in public safety, a City Council committee is recommending restoring half the 12 firefighting positions the mayor wanted sliced and getting the money from two police department programs.

Fire station soon to be sold?

We have told you about this battle before, but it continues in Elyria, Ohio. The mayor says staffing cutbacks are likely to be permanent and the selling of Fire Station 2 is still a good possibility. Read more, here

An update on another battlefront

The Oswego, NY fire chief has decided to retire over that 911 tape he is accused of releasing, involving a member of the City Council.

Car sets fire to building

The above video is also from CA. In Sacramento on Wednesday a fatal car crash sparks a building fire.

Looks like an old SCTV skit

Anyone remember Harold Ramis’ bit on SCTV about performing dentistry at home on yourself. A bottle of whiskey subbed for Novocaine. I know FireGeezer already mentioned this, but Bill Delaney, who does community safety education for Montgomery County, thinks the ad above may be an equally bad, and potentially more painful, idea. Check the Washington – Metro Area Fire & Injury Prevention site for more info.

Fire talk

Above, a Sacramento radio talk show invites California firefighters into the studio to talk about the fires and the preparation for Santa Ana winds returning.

Old video of the day: A burning home that looks like it has its own weather system

The fire above is from Glen Ridge, NJ in 2000. A house under renovation that really took off.

More old NJ house fires

The one above is from East Orange in 1997.

The fire zone

In Baltimore County, The Reisterstown Volunteer Fire Company needs to re-zone a parking lot for expansion.

Water BLEV

A three-foot tall, hot water heater destroyed a home in NC because of the lack of a pressure relief valve. Read the story and see the video, here.

More water problems

Watch the hydrant toward the bottom of the screen in the video above.

CA 911 calls

Here is a sampling of some 911 calls from the fires in San Diego.

Technical rescue in Seattle

Above, an injured construction worker is lifted out of a construction site in Seattle on Wednesday morning.

Around the web

The picture above is from VAFireNews.com. They have more like it in their coverage of the fire in the observation tower at High Knob. Rhett and company also have pictures of Stafford’s first county-owned station, now under construction.

WithTheCommand.com points us to the Cumberland Times-News article on mutual-aid questions involving Cumberland, MD ambulance service. While there, I noticed my old friend Jeff Alderton’s article on a Cumberland police officer’s home burning down.

Firefighter Nation has this Lou Angeli video of a Louisville warehouse fire and collapse and, of course, much more.

FireGeezer has LightRock’s look at the California fires, a controversial charity calender in the UK and more of his tribute to Porter Wagoner.

DCFD.com has details on how to donate to the DC Firefighters Burn Foundation. Their people have been a constant presence at the burn unit since Monday.

Maryland Fire News has been pushing helmet cams for those YouTube videos I like to run.

Firehouse.com has the story of the threats against the 911 worker who took the initial call on the Ocean Isle Beach, NC fire. In case you missed it, you can hear the call by clicking here.

SConFire.com lead story is on a firefighter from James Island who is back from Iraq.

Firefighter Hourly looks at NFPA II in connection with new hires.

Firefighter Spot always has great videos and vintage pictures.

The Fairfax County 5th Battalion Training site is now
called FireTactics.net and is always asking lots of questions.

EMSresponder.com has the story of the SWAT-Medics in Sacramento.

FirefightingNews.com has a great picture from a fire Thursday in a balloon frame home in Montclair, NJ.

EMSvillage.com has everything you need to know about MRSA.

And finally, money received to set car on fire was used on burn cream

A judge in Australia figured the arsonist suffered enough with the third degree burns he received. Read details here.

Morning update on burned firefighters: According to this morning’s press release from DC Fire & EMS, Sgt. Michael LaCore is in critical, but now stable condition. He had his second surgery on Wednesday that was considered successful by the doctor, who are encouraged by Sgt. LaCore’s progress. Sgt. LaCore’s mother told us he was able to write a note to his wife on Wednesday.

The press release reports Firefighter Charles Shyab remains in fair condition at a burn step-down unit and continues to improve.

Firefighters Kenneth Humphries and Doug Donnelly were released from the hospital on Tuesday and their progress continues to be excellent.

Watch the Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. story with Joe Morgan.

For Joe Morgan, what happened Monday is very personal. The news that four DC firefighters were burned, brought back the pain of Morgan’s own ordeal.

On May 30, 1999, Morgan, then a DC firefighter, was critically injured inside a home on Cherry Road, NE. Firefighters Louis Matthews and Anthony Phillips died at the same blaze. At the Washington Hospital Center Burn Unit, Dr. Marion Jordan said Joe Morgan’s chance of surviving was 50-50.

Morgan suffered burns over 65% of his body and had respiratory burns. Joe Morgan believes he survived due to God and help from the staff at the burn unit.

Morgan talks in glowing terms about Dr. Jordan and Dr. James Jeng. The two doctors are guiding the treatment of Sgt. Michael LaCore and Firefighter Charles Shyab. Shyab is in fair condition. LaCore is in critical condition. He underwent a second surgery on Wednesday.

Joe Morgan lost count of the number of surgeries he has had. It was well over 20. Morgan went back to the burn unit on Tuesday to help support the families of the burned firefighters.

Morgan eventually returned to work, assigned to the department’s training academy. Because his injuries no longer allowed him to perform firefighting duties, Morgan had hoped to continue working in a non-firefighting role. But the Omnibus Public Safety Agency Reform Amendment Act of 2002 forced him to take a disability retirement.

The act was an effort by the City Council to reduce the number of people who were on light or limited-duty in the police and fire departments. The act did not allow limited-duty status to extend beyond 12-months. It was passed in reaction to the discovery of a large number of police officers who had been on limited-duty for years.

The forced retirement of Joe Morgan is something that did not sit well with many firefighters who look at Morgan as a hero.

Read entire Omnibus Public Safety Agency Reform Amendment Act of 2002

Watch coverage of May 30, 1999 fire that killed Firefighters Matthews and Phillips and burned Joe Morgan

Watch February, 2001 story with Joe Morgan, who was not getting paid properly

Watch March, 2005 story where Morgan failed to receive payment for his unused leave