PHOTOS: The floor of a church building collapsed Thursday morning after it caught fire Wednesday night.

Grand Rapids Fire Department (GRFD) crews responded to a fire at a 133-year-old, non-operating LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church near southeast Sheldon Boulevard and southeast Oakes Street for about seven hours after it ignited Wednesday night around 11 p.m.

Pastor Peter M. Jonker said Christian Reformed Church bought the building in 2017 and planned to turn it into a community “respite center” for people struggling with housing.

“We were a long way down the road with plans to renovate. We spent money. We we’ve had drawings. So we were on the cusp of starting that,” Jonker said. “When we came down, there was just a little smoke, but pretty soon it was fully engaged. Tragic loss for the city.”

By 6 a.m. Thursday, GRFD Battalion Chief Kathleen Thompson said they contained about 90% of the fire. A total of 19 fire crews responded after multiple alarms came in just before 11 p.m., one person even going to GRFD to pound on the door and alert them.

WWMT-TV CBS 3 Kalamazoo

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The Mobile Fire Rescue Department Ladies Combat Challenge Team represented well at the Southeast Regional Firefighter Challenge Classic last weekend, according to the MFRD.

According to an MFRD Facebook post, Captain Jennifer Nelson and Firemedic Amber Dean represented the department in the Firefighter Championship League, not only bringing home awards, but setting Alabama records.

“The ladies crushed their runs and currently hold the Alabama state record for Women’s Tandem,” the post said. Additionally, Nelson placed first overall for women in her age division and set the Alabama record.

“These ladies have trained hard all year to prepare, and we could not be more proud of the hard work, teamwork, and dedication they continue to show while representing Mobile,” the post said. “True inspirations!”

WKRG-TV CBS 5 Mobile

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VIDEO/PHOTOS: It has been 30 years since a South Portland fire claimed the life of a fire department captain.

On August 27, 1996, a fire broke out at the Portland Welding Company. The South Portland Fire Department calls it one of the most challenging fires in its history. The four-alarm fire drew crews from across York and Cumberland counties.

During the response, South Portland Fire Department Capt. Robert Wallingford suffered a heart attack at the scene and later died. The department says Thursday’s anniversary is a time to honor Wallingford’s sacrifice and remember all the crews who responded that day.

WPFO-TV FOX 23 Waterville

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PHOTOS: Firefighting aircraft increased over Brinnon throughout Thursday afternoon and evening as crews responded to two growing brushfires near Highway 104 and Rock to Go Road.

The Washington Department of Natural Resources has established an aviation support operation in Brinnon.

A fuel truck has been positioned at the Dosewallips landing zone, and firefighting aircraft will be landing and departing from that location throughout the remainder of the day to support fire operations.

Because of the aviation activity, the Bloomfield portion of Dosewallips State Park is closed to the public until aviation operations conclude at approximately sunset.

KOMO-TV ABC 4 Seattle

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Clouds often filter through the valleys of the Cascades, hiding and revealing the peaks beyond them. For 19-year-old Evan Wright, that changing view is part of what keeps drawing him back. “You’re kind of surrounded by almost everything nature has to offer up here,” Wright said. The hike is only about a mile and a half one way, but it gains roughly 1,300 feet of elevation.

“The first time I was up here, I was blown away,” Wright said. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

The destination is High Rock Lookout, a historic fire lookout just outside Mount Rainier National Park. Built in 1930 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it sits high above the surrounding valleys with sweeping views of Mount Rainier and the South Cascades.

Don Allen has spent 37 years helping restore fire lookouts across the region. He is president of the Sand Mountain Society, an all-volunteer organization that began by restoring Sand Mountain Lookout in Oregon and later expanded to other historic preservation projects.

“There were so many lookouts at one time in the Pacific Northwest, and now, we’re down to so few,” Allen said.

KREM-TV CBS 2 Spokane

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