Attracting and retaining volunteers to fill the ranks of Maine’s many volunteer fire departments has gotten increasingly difficult, but lawmakers hope a bill to fund a pension program for volunteers could change that. The Legislature approved a bill in 2017 setting up the pension program but did not fund it.
- PUB DATE: 3/25/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Portland Press Herald

A man was found dead in his home after a fire broke out in Graham on Sunday morning. The house is located in the 22500 block of 90th Avenue East. Firefighters were called to the scene at 10:15 a.m. after neighbors said the home was on fire. The home was burning heavily when firefighters arrived, and when they tried to enter the front door, a sign was posted warning people to stay out, saying there were explosives inside.
- PUB DATE: 3/25/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KIRO 7 Seattle

A new federal law aims to protect wildland firefighters by requiring agencies to outfit crews with GPS locators and deploy drones to scout out and map blazes. The Wildfire Management Technology Advancement Act, sponsored by U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., was signed by President Donald Trump last week after sailing through both chambers of Congress with large majorities.
- PUB DATE: 3/25/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Spokane Spokesman-Review

Harbor Springs (MI) Area Fire Department pumper. Spartan Metro Star cab and chassis; Cummins ISL9 450-hp engine; Hale Qmax-XS 1,500-gpm pump.

Summer is still months away, but many folks in Washington enjoyed a glimpse of it with record-high temperatures last week as we headed into the official start of spring. Sadly, Thursday also marked the beginning of another season for the state: wildfire season. Areas in Washington state are already dealing with an unusually high number of wildfires: 50 total, with 49 on the west side of the state, according to the Department of Natural Resources.
- PUB DATE: 3/24/2019 4:02:35 PM - SOURCE: KOMO-TV ABC 4 and Radio 1000