VIDEO: Just over a week before the Fourth of July, a house in Whidbey Island’s Lagoon Point neighborhood near Greenbank exploded Wednesday afternoon when a cigarette is believed to have ignited approximately 700 pounds of fireworks stored inside. The blast occurred just before 4 p.m. The ensuing fire destroyed a neighboring home and damaged a third. Debris was found hundreds of feet away, and the explosions continued for hours.

“It was like a war zone at first,” said neighbor Tom Selvidge. “Windows shook. A couple pictures came off the wall inside,” added Chris Tincher. “My wife thought it was an earthquake.” Three firefighters were injured. The most seriously hurt was a firefighter who was 20 feet from one of the blasts while trying to hook a hose to a hydrant. He may lose a finger.

“If the guys had been standing in a spot a second later or a second earlier, we probably would have all three of them down at Harborview right now,” Central Whidbey Island Fire and Rescue Chief Jerry Helm said. Neighbor Tanya Hernandez’s home was damaged but still standing.

KING-TV NBC 5 Seattle

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Approximately 700 pounds of fireworks detonated on Whidbey Island in Greenbank on Wednesday afternoon, destroying two homes and damaging a third.

Five people, including three firefighters and two residents, were injured in the incident, though all are expected to recover.

Chief Jerry Helm with Central Whidbey Island Fire and Rescue said, “I believe it was a significant amount…probably in the 700 pound range…enough to fill a pallet.”

Fire officials reported multiple explosions, one of which caused injuries to the firefighters.

Of the five injured individuals, two firefighters have been released from the hospital. A third firefighter is undergoing hand surgery.

The two residents of the home where the fire started drove themselves to the hospital.

All five people are expected to recover from their injuries. Investigators believe smoking materials were around the fireworks in question. Helm also stated, “I believe this person was buying fireworks for an event they were doing.”

KIRO-TV CBS 7 Seattle

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PHOTOS: Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District officials on Thursday unveiled a new training academy in Rancho Cordova, marking the completion of a project more than two decades in the making.

The Zinfandel First Responder Training Facility, at 3801 Zinfandel Drive, will serve as the district’s permanent training academy, preparing recruits and other first responders who protect more than 750,000 residents in Sacramento and Placer counties. The inaugural class includes 19 recruits.

“This facility represents an investment in our most important asset, our people, but also serves as an investment in regional preparedness, statewide resilience and the future of public safety,” Metro Fire Chief Adam House said during Thursday’s open house.

The facility features classrooms, a gym, locker rooms and office space, as well as outdoor training buildings.

“The challenges facing first responders today are increasingly complex and require training that is realistic, collaborative, and adaptable,” House said. “This facility represents the next steps toward supporting those needs. It strengthens our ability to train safely, consistently, and effectively. “

The Sacramento Bee – Metered Site

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VIDEO: An 87-year-old fire captain is being honored at this weekend’s Celebrate Poland festival. He’s being recognized for over 50 years of service.

James Deemer has been a firefighter since his early 20s and started volunteering with Poland shortly after.

On Wednesday, he told us his whole story and explained why he’s still with the department decades later.

“It’s in your blood. I don’t know why, but it’s in your blood,” Deemer said.

In 1961, he was living in a house trailer with his wife and newborn son when they caught a glance of flames outside and his life changed forever.

“A trailer next door caught fire. Coitsville Fire arrived. I took the son of my wife and we walked out and hard out of the way, and I asked one of the firemen how to become a fireman. He said, ‘You come to the station on Monday night. We have drill every Monday,’” Deemer said.

He showed up at the Coitsville Fire Department the following Monday and joined the team.

Years later in 1967, he moved to Poland and was quickly recruited by the village’s volunteer fire department.

WKBN-TV CBS 27 Youngstown

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Olympic National Park crews are responding to an 86-acre wildfire sparked by lightning in a remote area west of Mount Olympus, according to park officials. The Mount Tom Creek Fire was reported by backpackers on June 24 after a lightning storm moved through the area June 23. The fire was burning on a steep, densely forested mountainside in the Mount Tom Creek Basin, about 5 miles west-northwest of Mount Olympus.

Officials said the fire remained 0% contained as of Thursday. No structures have been damaged and a full suppression strategy is being used. Fire managers have deployed aviation and ground resources, including Type 1 and Type 2 helicopters, reconnaissance aircraft, wildland fire engines and hand crews. A Type 3 Incident Management Team is scheduled to assume command of the fire Friday.

The fire is located about 6 miles from the Hoh Rain Forest administrative site. The Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center, campground and trails remain open. Rappelers assessed the area and determined it was not feasible to place firefighters directly on the fire line by aircraft because of the distance from landing zones and evacuation routes. Additional hazards include steep terrain, dense vegetation and standing dead trees.

Multiple lightning strikes were recorded across Olympic National Park from Tuesday night through Wednesday afternoon. Crews conducting aerial reconnaissance Wednesday night did not find any additional fires. Weather forecasts call for between a quarter-inch and 1.75 inches of rain in the fire area through Sunday. Officials said the precipitation could slow fire activity but is not expected to extinguish it.

KING-TV NBC 5 Seattle

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