PHOTOS: While there are no statistics citing how many first responders play golf, firefighters in hundreds of departments, organizations and charity events across the nation often flock to the course. With flexible 24-hour work schedules, they can play more often than almost anyone.

Some even fashion their own work area at stations to make golf clubs. Hoping for uneventful shifts as they report for duty between 7 and 8 a.m., they’re also preparing for the worst, confirming everything is in working order: trucks with proper fuel and water levels, safety equipment, hoses, medical supplies, personal gear and more.

They must be ready at a moment’s notice. One of those moments came on Feb. 17, 2022, on what dawned as a foggy and mild Michigan winter morning. Little did the golfing members of one Detroit area fire department know they were about to make golf history … by saving golf history.

Looking forward to a day off after a rough week, Oakland County’s Bloomfield Township fire chief John LeRoy normally hears alerts coming in 24/7. The one from 3951 Maple Road was especially troubling when the kitchen staff in the clubhouse at the legendary Oakland Hills Country Club smelled smoke.

At 9:17 a.m.—which sounds more like a tee time—the first call rang in and as the radio calls intensified, the chief rushed to the scene. “We get smoke calls all the time,” LeRoy says. “You can often tell by specific odors whether it’s electrical or something else and then discover its source; but the smell and location of this one was hard for anyone to define.”

The elegant 100-year-old wooden clubhouse was designed by Charles Howard Crane, an OHCC member and famous Detroit architect whose credits included the Fox Theatre, Detroit Opera House and the original Olympia Stadium, opened in 1922.

Extensive renovations had been made since 1968, including a major project in 1999, adding numerous club amenities and a memory-laden galleria along the second-floor hallway with more than 200 pictures of the early clubhouse, grounds, and tournaments past. Oakland Hills has hosted six U.S. Opens, three PGA Championships and a Ryder Cup.

Sports Illustrated

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More than 55,140 acres have burned and at least 120 homes were destroyed as firefighters battle massive wildfires across southern Georgia as of Monday evening.

Fires in Clinch and Brantley counties are now considered the most destructive in the state’s history, according to Gov. Brian Kemp. The flames have wiped out more than 120 homes since starting more than a week ago.

On Sunday night, isolated thunderstorms brought between 0.4 and 0.8 inches of rain to the area, providing a brief break from extreme fire behavior. However, officials warned the rain would not extinguish the fires completely. FEMA has authorized federal money to reimburse the state for 75% of the costs to fight these fires.

Hundreds of people have been forced to leave their homes, staying in hotels or emergency shelters like the Red Cross in Brantley or Selden Park in Brunswick. While some families were escorted back into certain areas Monday to check for damage, many are still waiting to see if they have a home to return to.

WAGA-TV FOX 5 Atlanta

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VIDEO/PHOTOS: Crews with the Naches Fire Department performed a Sunday morning water rescue near U.S. Highway 12, south of Naches. The agency said someone searching for rocks along the bank reported seeing a car in the water. After spotting the car with a drone, crews located an unidentified person sitting in brush on the opposite shore. Naches Fire said Washington State Patrol and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife contacted the man, who told them he was hurt and very cold.

The injured man was brought across the river in a rescue raft and transported to a hospital by ambulance. According to Naches Fire, tire marks showed the vehicle had been traveling westbound on U.S. Highway 12 before crossing the median and eastbound lanes, breaking through a fence near the west end of the Clemans View Sports Complex and going down an embankment into the river. Inflatable rafts were launched, the vehicle was searched and rescuers confirmed no one was inside.

KNDO-TV NBC 23 Yakima

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The Seattle Fire Department (SFD) says crews respond to a fire at a multi-story home in Greenwood. The call came in at around 9:20 p.m. on Monday night near North 83rd Street and Greenwood Avenue. Flames extended to multiple floors, into the attic, and through the roof of the home. SFD posted that the fire was under control as of 10:04 p.m. No injuries were reported, and the cause is under investigation.

KIRO-TV CBS 7 Seattle

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The Lands Council is inviting landowners and members of the public in Stevens County to a “Learn and Burn” event on April 29 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Prescribed burns play an essential role in forest health, according to a press release by The Lands Council. It returns nutrients to the soil, improves wildlife habitats, propagates new trees and can even increase the production of important plants, such as huckleberries.

According to the press release, the event aims to teach participants about site preparation, firing patterns, weather/prescription, the importance of keeping the fire where you want it, post-fire “mop up,” tools and equipment, permits and burn plans. Those interested should sign up through the website. The Lands Council asks participants to wear leather boots, non-synthetic clothing – such as cotton or wool – and bring leather gloves if possible. Lunch and coffee will be provided. The prescribed burns are weather-dependent. The Lands Council notes that while this event is planned for April 29, it may change due to the weather.

KREM-TV CBS 2 Spokane

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