VIDEO: A fire that destroyed a Walla Walla County home on Saturday was caused by a faulty water heater, Walla Walla County Fire District #8 said in a release. The fire in the 2600 block of Waggoner Road resulted in heavy smoke pouring from the basement and attic eaves. Firefighters said they faced challenges due to excessive clutter and debris, leading to the total loss of the home and its contents. One resident sustained a minor hand laceration from broken glass and was treated at the scene.

KNDO-TV NBC 23 Yakima

The post Faulty water heater causes house fire in Walla Walla County appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

In a bid to boost wildfire suppression capabilities, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is set to provide 25 surplus wildland fire engines to various fire districts across the state, a move strategically aimed at reinforcing the responsiveness of local fire crews in areas with high wildfire incidence. According to a recent announcement, this initiative is part of DNR’s ongoing efforts to fortify initial wildfire defense and enhance the potential for the containment of smaller, more manageable wildfires before they escalate.

George Geissler, the State Forester and Deputy Supervisor of DNR, underscored the critical role local first responders play in wildfire situations, explaining, “Ensuring the first responders best situated for swift initial attack have the tools they need to reach ignitions early and keep them small ultimately benefits DNR by reducing potential for those larger, more severe wildfires,” in a statement obtained by the department’s news release. The allocation of these engines stems from the Surplus Engine Program, which equips fire service members in at-risk areas with the necessary wildfire-specific apparatus.

Hoodline Seattle

The post Washington State Bolsters Wildfire Defense with 25 Surplus Engines for Local Fire Districts appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

Firefighters believe that puppies brought to the Sky Valley fire station in Gold Bar on Sunday may have overdosed on fentanyl. When they arrived, the three puppies were in critical condition, in respiratory distress, and firefighters knew that since all the puppies had the same symptoms, the cause had to be some kind of environmental poisoning. Crews worked to save the dogs with CPR, oxygen therapy, and Narcan.

“Knowing that fentanyl is one of the major causes of poisoning when introduced in the air as a powder, it was our firefighters’ best guess that the puppies had experienced a fentanyl overdose,” Sky Valley fire wrote in a Facebook post. As firefighters worked to revive the puppies, the fire officer in charge called Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) deputies to find the people who had brought the puppies to the fire station. Deputies found those people at their home, where they found three more very ill puppies.

KOMO-TV ABC 4 Seattle

The post Unresponsive puppies brought to Sky Valley fire station likely OD’d on fentanyl appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

Effective response to large-scale industrial fires requires specialized equipment, high-volume water and foam streams, and efficient staffing to manage hazards at sites like refineries and chemical plants.

The post Overwhelming Industrial Fires with Industrial-Strength Apparatus appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

The Camden (NJ) Fire Department faces a crisis with aging equipment, leading to delayed responses in emergencies.

The post NJ Man Died in a Fatal Fire; Aging Fire Truck Doubled Firefighters’ Response Time appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.