VIDEO: The Country Meadows fire near Badger Canyon was 90 percent contained as evacuations were scaled back and outside crews left the area. The fire threatened more than 150 homes over the weekend and attention is shifting to what caused it and whether the person responsible could face consequences. Firefighters said the fire spread quickly uphill Saturday afternoon and moved toward homes in the Triple Vista area within minutes.

The Major family said they noticed smoke after getting home from a soccer game and then soon had to rush to evacuate with their children and pets. “I said the smoke looked really close to our house and Shane got a little sacred because it looked like it was on top of our house,” a family member said. The fire burned as much as 1,700 acres, destroyed one shop and damaged some nearby properties after flames came within feet of backyards.

The Major family said their trampoline melted, landscaping blocks were damaged and several shrubs and trees burned. “We’re pretty sure that the helicopter buckets actually probably saved our house,” a family member said. Investigators confirmed the fire was human-caused. That raised new questions about responsibility as the response moved into a new phase.

KNDO-TV NBC 23 Yakima

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VIDEO: The Cleveland Division of Fire responded to a massive fire under I-490 in Cleveland’s Industrial Valley neighborhood early Tuesday morning.

The call came in around 4:14 a.m., and according to the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) traffic cameras, the fire was near the 2900 block of Independence Road in a two-story abandoned factory building.

The building had been vacant for decades, according to firefighters. Cleveland Fire had a total of nine crews on the scene, including multiple ladders. There were no injuries reported.

According to ODOT, the right lane was blocked on I-490 East beyond I-90 and I-71. Cleveland Fire is still investigating the cause as crews begin to wrap up operations after working through the morning.

WOIO-TV CBS 19 Cleveland

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VIDEO: The city of Oshkosh has put its first-ever motor-driven fire truck up for auction, but the former mayor who helped bring it back to Oshkosh 16 years ago says he’s disappointed that the city would let a piece of its history go.

Bidding starts at $5,000 for the 110-plus-year-old fire truck, a number that is lower than its initial purchase price dating back to 1915, when the city partnered with a prominent automobile dealership in Oshkosh to purchase the fire truck for $6,800.

It stayed in active service until 1948, when it was retired and only used for public events for nine more years. The city of Oshkosh then sold the fire truck, which would go through many different owners, experiencing both deterioration and restoration over several decades.

In 2009, an Oshkosh fire captain found the fire truck in Princeton, Illinois, and arranged for then-Mayor Paul Esslinger and other fire officials to meet with the owner and do an inspection.

They liked what they saw, and by 2010, Esslinger purchased the fire truck for $10,000, donating it back to the city. Esslinger, who currently sits on the Oshkosh City Council, said learning about the auction posting for the first time felt like a slap in the face.

“I haven’t been told that there’s space needs or anything along that line, and if there was, I think there are plenty of people that would be more than happy to store it for the city, when it’s not going to be used,” Esslinger said.

“It’s just a great historical piece and one that I think, the kids would have loved to ride on in parades and whatever, so getting rid of it is just, it’s baffling to me.”

WBAY-TV ABC 2 Green Bay

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Queensland Maroons players have been inspired by the motivational message delivered by New York firefighter James Dowdell as the team prepares for the opening State of Origin match in Sydney.

Dowdell, a New York Fire Department (FDNY) lieutenant, was invited by Maroons head coach Billy Slater to address the players in camp about his experiences.

James turned 17 the day before his father, Lieutenant Kevin Dowdell of Rescue 4, passed away in the South Tower of the World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001. Kevin Dowdell was one of 343 firefighters to lose their lives while helping others on that tragic day.

As history shows, the unity and resilience of the FDNY came to the fore during and after the shocking 9/11 event. In a unified band, James and older brother Patrick joined the search and recovery mission in the rubble with other determined firefighters. Dowdell said his message was about “resilience, leadership and taking action.”

QRL Media

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PHOTOS: Benton County fire agencies responded to reports of a home and vegetation on fire Monday night near Riverview High School. Firefighters from Benton County Fire District 1, Kennewick Fire Department, and law enforcement from the Benton County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene just after 5:30 p.m. The fire broke out at a home off of East Game Farm Road. Two adults, two children and their two dogs were inside a home when the fire broke out. At this time, the cause has not been released.

According to BCFD 1, it is still under investigation. Fire officials said the family heard noises outside. When they went to check on what was happening, they found the grass fire in their yard. The family was able to get out of the home in time and no one was hurt. The home was severely damaged in addition to a camper, a couple of vehicles and an outside shed. Firefighters remained at the scene for a few hours to monitor the nearby vegetation and to put out hotspots.

Apple Valley News Now

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