Gov. Bob Ferguson has directed state agencies to lower Washington state and U.S. flags to half-staff on Monday, May 4, to honor National Firefighters Memorial Day. Flags are to remain lowered until the close of business or sunset on May 4. Other government groups, businesses and individuals are encouraged to take part in the recognition, according to the notice.

The Washington State Fallen Firefighters Memorial is located in North Bend at the Fire Training Academy. The tribute includes a bronze memorial attached to granite and recognizes firefighters’ service and duty. The memorial service began in 1985 through the Washington State Fire Fighters’ Association. Fire service groups from around the state have joined each year to honor firefighters who died while serving their communities.

KNDO-TV NBC 23 Yakima

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VIDEO/PHOTOS: Jacksonville marks 125 years since the Great Fire of 1901, a blaze that leveled much of downtown and reshaped the city’s future — and historians say its conditions echo what crews are facing in wildfires burning today in Southeast Georgia.

“It was a day very much like our May 3 that we’re living in, the contemporary moment here in 2026,” said Dr. Alan Bliss, CEO of the Jacksonville History Center.

The fire erupted on May 3, 1901, and became the most destructive event in Jacksonville’s history. Historians estimate that about 90% of downtown was destroyed, including large homes and hotels.

Much of Jacksonville at the time was built with timber, Bliss said, a conveniently available supply found in the pine flatwoods of Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia. “If you know anything about burning pine, you know that it burns very cheerfully,” Bliss said.

Historians say the fire started when a spark landed on dry Spanish moss at the Cleveland Fibre Factory. The University of North Florida’s Thomas G. Carpenter Library has noted that the fire burned for nearly eight hours, cutting a path through more than 150 city blocks and destroying about 2,400 structures.

“It caused a lot of people to lose everything, displaced from their homes for months and years afterwards,” Bliss said. “It destroyed businesses.”

A grim reality that is all too familiar in recent days in Brantley County, Georgia. After digging through the numbers, Meteorologist Michelle McCormick says April 1901 and April 2026 both had hot and dry conditions, less than two inches of rainfall, and winds that affected the fires.

WJXT-TV 4 Jacksonville

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Up to 14 people were displaced and one lizard was rescued in a house fire in White Center on Thursday. Firefighters with King County Fire District 2 responded to the home near 15th Avenue Southwest and Southwest 104th Street about 11:50 a.m. Most of the home, which had three separate living spaces, was damaged in the fire, the fire district said. The Red Cross said volunteers responded to aid 14 people and some pets who were displaced. The fire district said it rescued a lizard.

No injuries were reported. King County fire investigators will determine the cause of the fire. However, initial reports from the occupants were that the fire started in the bedroom. The source may have been electrical, according to the fire district. Several other agencies also responded to help fight the fire, including the Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority, Medic One and the Zone 3 Rehab Unit.

KING-TV NBC 5 Seattle

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VIDEO: An outdoor fire damaged a fence, home siding and landscaping on South Timberline Drive after a homeowner used a propane torch for yard work, according to Spokane Valley Fire. Crews responded to the 2100 block of S. Timberline Drive at about 6:50 p.m. April 30 after a report of an outdoor fire, according to a Spokane Valley Fire press release. Fire officials said a propane torch, also known as a weed burner, ignited arborvitae on the property, and the flames spread to a neighboring vinyl fence and nearby vegetation. Embers also sparked two small spot fires across the street.

KHQ-TV NBC 6 Spokane

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VIDEO: The Walla Walla Fire Department has introduced Wally, a 3-month-old golden retriever, as a new station dog and community engagement canine. Wally is the department’s second station pet in 131 years. The first was a white bulldog named Sport in 1895. Captain Maine said the department had wanted to add a crisis and community engagement canine for a long time. “We had talked about instituting a crisis and community engagement canine for a long time. We want him to go out and see people. He went to a middle school earlier today and was playing with some kids and everything,” Maine said.

Wally’s position was fully funded by the University of Washington School of Social Work and its Behavioral Health Crisis Outreach Response and Education program. Captain Maine said Wally still needed training before he could begin working as a certified service dog. “Once he’s certified, he’ll be, a working service dog able to go on airplanes and everything. So, you know, we want to just really embed him in the community and all different facets as much as we can,” Maine said.

KNDO-TV NBC 23 Yakima

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