PHOTOS: A lithium-ion battery from a hoverboard scooter began burning overnight and sparked an explosion that triggered a massive industrial scrapyard fire off U.S. Highway 90 in Jefferson County, destroying about $750,000 worth of high-value scrap metal, according to information Jefferson County Emergency Services District 3 Fire Chief Phillip Kibodeaux provided to KFDM News.

The fire was reported at about 5 a.m. at Scrapworks Industrial LLC, 12070 Highway 90 West, just past ExxonMobil and the Beaumont Municipal Airport.

Chief Kibodeaux says the company had separated a lithium-ion battery from a hoverboard scooter, and the battery began burning at about 2:30 a.m.

The batteries create intense heat, and the chief says the battery fire caused something to blow up and started a fire in another scrap pile.

KFDM-TV CBS/CW+/FOX 6 Beaumont

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PHOTOS: A fire tore through a Tumwater apartment complex Thursday afternoon. It happened right across the street from the fire department at Suncrest Apartments. The fire chief said they got the 911 call at the station, then walked out of the building, saw smoke, and rushed over.

Firefighters are still out there, hours after getting this under control. One fire chief told KIRO 7 News that they could be there overnight. The flames ripped across the roof of the apartment block and have impacted roughly 30 units.

The chief told KIRO 7 News that one man had to be rescued from the second floor as the flames tore across the roof. Several others were treated out here for smoke inhalation, but nobody was transported to hospitals; some were urged to go to urgent care if they felt like they needed it.

KIRO-TV CBS 7 Seattle

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Benton Public Utility District officials are investigating after the Benton County Sheriff’s Office’s investigation into the devastating Second Street Fire found the fire likely started due to electrical sparks from Benton PUD equipment that failed for currently unknown reasons.

Benton PUD officials said the Benton County Sheriff’s Office’s report about their investigation into the Second Street Fire attributed the cause to electrical arcing at the end of a Benton PUD overhead high-voltage power line. Benton PUD said they cooperated fully with the BCSO’s investigation, and have provided detailed information about the electrical system and equipment in the area.

Apple Valley News Now

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VIDEO: The Spokane Valley Fire Department has received a $5.5 million federal grant to reduce wildfire risks, with plans to thin overcrowded trees, provide education in schools and help homeowners protect their properties. Jessica Walston, who started last week as the department’s new wildfire mitigation supervisor, is helping lead the program.

The department is partnering with the City of Spokane Valley on work at several locations, including The Course Spokane Valley, a cross-country course. There, the plan is to remove smaller, overcrowded trees and vegetation while preserving the natural landscape. Creating space between trees can help limit the fuel available for a wildfire to spread.

“We’re creating that spacing so when a fire comes in, that fire doesn’t have another fuel source to carry it further across that landscape,” Walston said. That work is intended to help protect nearby neighborhoods. “And then ultimately, we want to prevent that fire from moving into those urban areas,” she added.

KREM-TV CBS 2 Spokane

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The custom-built unit highlights advanced communications, situational awareness, and mobile command capabilities.

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