New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the creation of a new Inter-Agency Fire Safety Working Group meant to ensure the safety and security of energy storage systems across the state, following fire incidents at facilities in Jefferson, Orange, and Suffolk Counties this summer. State agencies will begin immediate inspections of energy storage sites, and the working group is intended to help prevent fires and ensure emergency responders have the necessary training and information to prepare and deploy resources in the event of a fire.
- PUB DATE: 9/1/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: POWER Engineering

Firefighters who battled the deadly Lahaina wildfires on August 8 have earned immense gratitude for their efforts to fend off the historic inferno fed by hurricane force winds and large swaths of fire prone bone-dry brush. Chris Frueh, a psychology professor at the University of Hawaii at Hilo provides insight into short- and long-term medical, psychological and social risks firefighters can sustain in their line of work.
- PUB DATE: 9/1/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: University of Hawaii News

VIDEO: Killeen’s Fire Station 9 held an auction to raise donations for two firefighters who are currently battling cancer. The station has an allotted pool of donations named the Benevolence fund, which goes to taking care of firefighter’s financial stability when they leave work due to medical or personal issues.
- PUB DATE: 9/1/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KWTX-TV CBS 10 Waco

VIDEO: Spokane Valley Fire Captain Duane Hughes and his wife lived in Medical Lake for almost four years, but that all changed when the Gray Fire reduced their home to rubble. On the night of the Gray Fire, Captain Hughes was sent to protect homes near Lakeland Village. He and his crews saved at least six homes, but lost one.
- PUB DATE: 9/1/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KXLY-TV ABC 4 Spokane

There was some cautiously optimistic news from a series of updates on Spokane County's Oregon Road Fire and Gray Fire. The manpower brought to bear on the fires seems to be paying off in the form of the blazes getting closer to being brought under control. Remaining evacuation zones have all been downgraded to Level 1, the lowest level of readiness, and those are expected to be lifted soon.
- PUB DATE: 9/1/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Big Country News