At least one in five Americans have now been infected with COVID-19 since the pandemic began, but the number is likely higher, including secondary to unreported asymptomatic cases, according to The Hill. The United States had its first confirmed case of COVID-19 reported 731 days ago on Jan. 21, 2020, but now has had over 70 million confirmed COVID-19 cases with over 866,000 deaths as of this Friday, according to The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, which is a continuously updated source of COVID-19 data.
- PUB DATE: 1/24/2022 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: FOX News

A new bill in the Washington Legislature could help speed the process for state regulators to restrict toxic chemicals in firefighting gear. “Something we didn’t realize until it was too late is that the gear that was designed to keep us safe is actually poisoning us,” said A.J. Johnson, legislative liaison for the Washington State Council of Fire Fighters and a firefighter in Edmonds, Washington.
- PUB DATE: 1/23/2022 10:31:58 AM - SOURCE: Oregon Public Broadcasting

The El Paso (TX) Fire Department Thursday held the ground-breaking ceremony for its new Station 36.

The facility is being built next to the Hospitals of Providence – Transmountain Campus, the department says on Facebook. It’s part of an approximately $10 million project, says a report on ConstructionJournal.com says.

“Work of the project is for all labor, supervision, materials, services, and equipment required in conjunction with all work to construct a new two-story Fire Station of approximately 12,212 square feet,” ConstructionJournal.com says. “The type of construction is Type II-B. Living areas include sleeping room, bathrooms, kitchen, dayroom, offices, and weight room. Apparatus Bay consists of 3 bays and support spaces. The exterior will be a combination of brick and native stone with a metal roof.”

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The Thurston County Sheriff's Office says three people died in a house fire Saturday morning in Rainier. The sheriff's office says Lacey Firefighters responded to the home in the 16100 block of Village Drive SE around 1:30 a.m. Saturday. When firefighters arrived, they found the home completely engulfed in flames.
- PUB DATE: 1/22/2022 5:43:41 PM - SOURCE: KOMO-TV ABC 4 and Radio 1000

The Spokane Fire Department wants the public to know the safety standards for fireplace and wood-burning stoves. Firefighters responded to a 911 call on the South end of North Kelly Court to reports of a fire in an interior basement wall on Tuesday. Luckily, a fire company was only two minutes away when the call was made.
- PUB DATE: 1/22/2022 12:47:44 PM - SOURCE: KXLY-TV ABC 4 Spokane