PHOTOS: Lithium-ion batteries power everything from phones to e-bikes and electric cars, but when they fail, they can ignite, explode and burn for hours. That risk was on display March 12 at the Kennewick Fire Training Center, where fire departments from across the Tri-Cities gathered for a hands-on training session that included two battery fire tests.

“Lithium ion batteries are everywhere. They’re in your cars your bikes and even in your phones. And sometimes they’re prone to melting down,” Jake said. “That’s why the Kennewick Fire Department is out here blowing one up so that they know how to put one out.”

In the first test, four fully charged lithium-ion batteries were intentionally set on fire to demonstrate their destructive potential. A second test used four other batteries that had their charge removed to reduce the risk of ignition during handling and transport.

KEPR-TV CBS/CW+ 19 Pasco

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VIDEO/PHOTOS: Powerful winds hit several neighborhoods across western Washington Wednesday night.

A man is recovering in the hospital with injuries Thursday, after a roughly 70-foot Redwood tree fell on top of his trailer and trapped him inside in east King County.

Eastside Fire and Rescue crews responded to the camper on NE Lake Joy Rd. near Carnation, after battling downed trees and downed power lines that blocked several routes, according to the agency.

It took crews nearly two hours to safely lift and remove the tree before the man was transported to Harborview Medical Center.

“We don’t want to lift one end and cause injury to the other. It was just a very, very complex issue that needed to be handled very, very delicately,” Catherine Breault with Eastside Fire and Rescue explained.

Neighbors told KOMO News they heard the loud crack and knew it was the decades-old tree. Leslie Neagle, who lives nearby, said most neighbors know about the dangers their tree-covered neighborhood faces and stay inside during bad windstorms.

KATU-TV ABC 2 Portland

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VIDEO: Washington’s Department of Natural Resources is looking ahead to this year’s fire season after the state legislature restored 10s of millions of dollars to do so. The Public Lands Commissioner of Washington says that for the past year, DNR’s wildlife budget was essentially cut in half. Now, he says this decision from lawmakers will make them better prepared for what he says will be a difficult season in the next few months.

Commissioner of Public Lands for Washington state Dave Upthegrove says a lack of wildlife funding for Washington’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) puts the state at great risk come this wildfire season. “We dodged a bullet,” said Upthegrove. The Washington State Legislature previously cut $60 million from DNR’s wildlife budget out of $120 million last year in an effort to combat the state’s deficit.

Those funds, according to Upthegrove, went toward wildlife preparation. That includes purchasing of equipment and staff to make sure they respond to fires immediately, so they don’t spread any further. This year, lawmakers gave that money back to DNR in a revised state budget. He says a big reason for that money coming back to DNR is top fire officials like himself, educating lawmakers from Western Washington on how wildfires play a part in people’s lives statewide.

KREM-TV CBS 2 Spokane

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Rural fire departments face challenges in drafting water from natural sources due to depth and debris. BearsPaw SEPARATORS® address these issues, allowing effective use in shallow, contaminated waters.

The post BearsPaw SEPARATOR: A Revolutionary Tool for Drafting Operations appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

D.C. Fire and EMS is hoping to get final approval on a $25 million deal that could bring 18 new fire apparatus to the department. The fire union has questions about the no-bid contract.

The post D.C. Fire and EMS Seeks Approval for $25M No-Bid Deal for Apparatus appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.