With warm temperatures comes the anticipation of wildfire season for firefighters. They’re training differently because of the pandemic. One four-legged friend could be lending them a hoof. Spokane Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer is looking to use goats to help prevent wildfires. “This goat and a bunch of his buddies, a bunch of his family members will be able to reduce the fuels in areas where fire could be easily moved from one area to another and endanger homes,” Schaeffer said.
- PUB DATE: 6/23/2020 6:39:47 PM - SOURCE: KXLY-TV ABC 4 Spokane

A communications outage left San Juan County Dispatch unable to hail Orcas Island Fire and Rescue personnel for several minutes during a double search and rescue effort on Mount Constitution Saturday night. The OIFR frequency went down following a power outage while rescue crews were on the mountainside attempting to locate a total of three people lost in two separate areas.
- PUB DATE: 6/23/2020 10:50:15 AM - SOURCE: Orcas Issues News & Reviews

VIDEO: Nearly one hundred firefighters from 10 companies and two counties rolled into Specialty Tire in Indiana Monday morning. Indiana Fire Association First Assistant Chief Ron Moreau described the scene: “Lots of heavy black smoke.” The picture from Indiana Fire Association shows the issue from the outside.
- PUB DATE: 6/23/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KDKA-TV CBS 2 Pittsburgh

With half of US states reporting a rise in new cases, one expert warns of ‘danger signs’ in some parts of the US. After weeks of many Americans failing to heed face mask and social distancing guidelines, health officials in some states are reporting an increase in younger populations testing positive — saying those individuals are often asymptomatic but could be infecting others.
- PUB DATE: 6/23/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KTLA-TV 5 CW Los Angeles

Firefighters face occupational hazards on a daily basis. Now, new research shows they face additional risk just by gearing up. Fabric used for firefighter turnout gear tested positive for the presence of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS), according to the study published in Environmental Science and Technology Letters, led by Graham Peaslee, professor of physics at the University of Notre Dame.
- PUB DATE: 6/23/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: University of Notre Dame News