Last year, Labor Day weekend was a wake-up call. Fires raged on both sides of the state including fires near Deception Pass leading to the north end of Whidbey Island and were put out with the help of helicopters said the Washington Department of Natural Resources. Washingtonians can no longer assume that the wetter west side of the state is immune from wildfire, and that bad fires are only a problem for the typically drier part of the state east of the Cascade Mountains.
- PUB DATE: 4/8/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KING-TV NBC 5 Seattle

White Bear Lake held a dedication ceremony for a fire truck, reports White Bear Press.

The new fire truck is equipped with a 107 ft. ladder, a 2000 gallon per minute pump and the latest technology. The ladder on the truck it is replacing had a reach of 75 ft.

The fire department posted to Facebook about the fire truck it will replace, “Today we said goodbye to the old Ladder 914 (Ladder 9). It was sold to the Wilburton, OK fire department. This truck will replace their 1973, manual 5 speed ladder they currently have in service. They are pretty excited for their upgrade!”

The Bradner Fire Department is renewing a push for a new fire station that will replace the current 55-year-old fire station, reports ABC 13 Action News.

The fire chief said the building has not had any major updates or renovations and is putting safety at risk. The building also only has one bathroom and is not ADA compliant.

The station is used to house rescue equipment for the volunteer department but in the past was also used to host community gatherings, weddings, and at one point, voting.

The fire department has a plot of land and designs, but has funding issues for the fire station which is estimated to cost $1.6 million. So far, the fire department has raised raised nearly $100,000.

The new space would have four bays and give firefighters more space to quickly exit the building. The current station also lacks a ventilation system that removes the exhaust. Right now, when the trucks are running, the diesel exhaust builds up on the walls and in the firefighter turnout gear.

Two Lexington fire stations are partially using solar power, reports WKYT.

The solar panels, costing about $30,000, were installed at Fire Station No. 7 and at Fire Station No. 15 as part of a larger city-wide renewable energy initiative.

Officials expect the projects to pay for themselves in cost savings by year 10 or 11.

A man has been charged for three incidents of vandalism, two which impacted fire stations, reports NBC 12.

Officials said a car hit the garage doors of Henrico Fire Station #5 and then he moved on to knock out windows of the Lakeside Volunteer Rescue Squad’s building.

The suspect is charged with three counts of felony vandalism, one for each location.