VIDOE: When the Nippon Dynawave paper mill imploded, firefighters were first at the scene, pulling people out of danger, with one of those firefighters getting injured in the process. “Guys put themselves in harm’s way and probably did more than they should initially. But, you know, that’s what firefighters do,” said Longview Fire Chief Brad Hannig.

Two weeks ago, Longview and Kelso fire crews rushed to the Nippon paper mill after calls of an implosion. Many firefighters jumped into action so fast that they did not have time to put on full hazmat gear. “Initially, we were just trying to do rapid rescues because we’re limited to what suits we have. But even the suits we do have probably weren’t good enough to get further and deeper into the substance because it covered a large area,” Hannig said.

Firefighters were able to pull nine people out of the chemical-soaked rubble, with one of the firefighters getting injured in the process of saving lives. “Because of the hazards and different things that they were dealing with, they were trying to make rescues. He had fallen into the fluid, and it had soaked into his fire gear, which caused burns,” Hannig said. Many of the first responders know people who work inside the mill.

“So, there are those connections, which make any closeness and proximity more difficult to manage both mentally. I think our guys are doing a pretty good job,” Hannig said. And the job wasn’t done in one day. With help from outside contractors, fire crews spent days searching for the bodies of the 11 people lost in the wreckage. “It was a truly humbling experience,” Hannig said. “Be able to, you know, bring those victims home to their families so that they could have closure.”

KOIN-TV CBS 6 Portland

The post ‘That’s what firefighters do’: Longview fire chief praises rescue crews’ response after implosion appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

PHOTOS: Firefighters battled a suspicious house fire Tuesday morning that spread to a neighboring home and displaced four residents, though no injuries were reported, according to the Spokane Fire Department. Fire officials said crews responded at 6:28 a.m. to 623 East Sanson Ave following reports of a house fire with occupants possibly trapped inside.

The initial reports of trapped occupants prompted firefighters to request a second alarm for additional resources, according to fire officials. Additional crews searched the home but confirmed all occupants had evacuated safely before firefighters arrived, including one adult who exited through a small basement window, the Spokane Fire Department said.

Fire officials said the fire was brought under control within 10 minutes of the initial response. The fire remains under investigation due to suspicious circumstances, according to the Spokane Fire Department. The City of Spokane Police Department has joined the investigation alongside fire officials, with assistance from Spokane County Fire District #4. The Red Cross was contacted to assist the four displaced people, fire officials said.

KXLY-TV ABC 4 Spokane

The post House fire investigation underway after suspicious blaze displaces four in Spokane appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

VIDEO: Grant County has had 50 brush, grass and wildland fires in the first week of its annual burn ban. That averages out to more than six fires a day, according to a Facebook post from the Grant County Fire Marshal’s Office. The post highlighted one fire near Road C and 11 NE that officials said started while a person was grinding metal. Officials said the person put out an earlier fire, kept grinding and then sparked another fire that spread fast.

The Fire Marshal’s Office said the person received a citation for second-degree reckless burning. The gross misdemeanor can bring up to one year in jail or a $5,000 fine. Fire officials also had a clear message for the community. “Please just stop. It’s really dry and our firefighters are tired,” the Grant County Fire Marshal’s Office said. The Fire Marshal’s Office said the burn ban citation counter stood at eight.

KHQ-TV NBC 6 Spokane

The post Grant County sees 50 fires in one week appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

The Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office received a $16,392 grant from the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation for five automated external defibrillators.

The post NC Sheriff’s Department Buys Defibrillators With Grant appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

Goffstown Fire Station 3, built in 1975, is unoccupied and deteriorating.

The post Goffstown (NH) Chooses Not to Sink Money in Fire Station 3 This Year appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.