Two local firefighters recently participates at events in Washington state and California designed to mentor and encourage young women in the fire service. Anaka Hughes, volunteer training coordinator for Clallam 2 Fire-Rescue as well as a volunteer firefighter/EMT with Clallam County Fire District 3, and Samantha Harik, a volunteer firefighter/EMT with the Port Angeles Fire Department, participated in both Camp Blaze in Washington State and the NorCal Women in the Fire Service event in California.
- PUB DATE: 9/28/2022 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Sequim Gazette - Metered Site

A dumpster truck caught on fire early Wednesday morning in Yakima. The truck was driving on I-82 when the garbage load burst into flames, according to a report. The truck then exited the highway and offloaded the garbage near Central Pre-Mix. The garbage continued to burn, emitting bright flames and dark smoke.
- PUB DATE: 9/28/2022 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KIMA-TV CBS/CW+ 29 Yakima

When a member of Grays Harbor Fire District 1 showed up to work at Station 2, located at 1880 South Bank Road in Oakville, for work just before 6 a.m. on Tuesday, he was greeted to scene of disarray. Equipment had been randomly moved between the three apparatuses, gear was scattered about, knobs and switches were broken, a headset was torn from the wall and left on the ground.
- PUB DATE: 9/27/2022 11:30:00 PM - SOURCE: The Chronicle

US Highway 2 near Skykomish remained closed Wednesday morning as the Bolt Creek fire continued to burn. The closure of US 2 stretched for 4 miles from mileposts 46 to 49. Previously, only 3 miles of the highway were shut down but were since extended as winds and fire conditions changed. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) tweeted and said crews were removing trees along the highway that posed a danger to public safety.
- PUB DATE: 9/27/2022 6:25:10 PM - SOURCE: KIMA-TV CBS/CW+ 29 Yakima

For more than 30 years, Highland Beach residents have depended on Delray Beach Fire Rescue’s services, PalmBeachPost.com reported. But no longer.

On September 13, the Palm Beach County Commission voted unanimously to allow Highland Beach to establish its own fire-rescue department, the report said. It will mark the first time in three decades that a city within the county has created a fire-rescue agency.

The move will save taxpayers at least $2 million per year, according to a report conducted by Matrix Consulting in May.

As it works right now, there is one fire station in Highland Beach, but it is staffed by Delray Beach firefighters, the report said. The report found that more than 2,000 trips per year are made to Delray Beach from trucks stationed in Highland Beach.

Highland Beach Fire Rescue is expected to debut in May 2024, the report said. It will have two full medical transports, two fire ladder trucks and a fire chief car. 

The Palm Beach County Commission’s vote comes after a referendum last fall in which Highland Beach residents overwhelmingly approved the $10 million initiative for a new fire department, the report said. The plan had a 92% approval rate.

The department will serve the town’s roughly 4,000 residents, according to the report.