Two firefighters escaped without injury Wednesday morning after falling eight feet through a floor into a basement fire while responding to a residential structure fire.

Crews were dispatched at 6 a.m. Wednesday to a fire at Alcazar Street and Marquette Avenue, near Louisiana Boulevard. The building was a vacant structure that showed signs of human occupancy.

“There’s always a debate about searching vacant building . Even though there might be boarded-up structures, there’s always that risk and reward. If you take a look in any of those windows, people are staying in there. And so if we have a building that we can search, we’re going to do that every time. This is a reminder of what’s at stake when we do go inside these structures,” said Lt. Jason Fejer with Albuquerque Fire Rescue.

During the response, crews split up, with Engine 13 working on the first floor and Engine 5 operating in the basement. “There wasn’t much fire involvement here. The roof isn’t collapsed. This building is not burned through. It’s a small fire in the basement that got into the trusses and our guys fell through it,” Fejer said.

“We carry thermal imaging cameras and he could see the heat in the floor, which was about the time that the floor collapsed.”

The collapse triggered an immediate call: “Mayday, mayday, mayday, Engine 13 with a mayday, firefighters fell through the floor.”

KOAT-TV ABC 7 Albuquerque

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VIDEO: An Oklahoma firefighter is honoring first responders who have died by suicide while encouraging others to seek help through a cross-country road trip, he told News 9 on Wednesday.

After nearly two years of serving as a first responder, Quenton J. decided it was time to take a break to process the traumatic calls and refresh from the burnout.

“About a month ago, I started taking hikes with my son on my off days- just to take the load off my mind of the calls. If I had a really bad call, I’d just go to the hiking trail with my son,” said Quenton. Quenton said being in touch with nature helped to alleviate some of his work stress.

“I’ve actually noticed the last several months, he’s been very quiet about discussing certain calls that have happened,” said Kylie J., Quenton’s wife. Kylie said her husband came up with the idea of taking a mental health trip.

“So, I can process all the stuff that I’ve dealt with on the calls and in the service– and just try and reset myself, come back to my normal and find my why again,” Quenton shared. He said he plans to make 13 stops in the next week.

“So, I’m starting here in Oklahoma at Washita Battlefield. Ultimately, going through the panhandle of Texas, and then up through New Mexico; up to Utah and Idaho,” and ending the trip with a visit to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, he explained.

KWTV-DT CBS 9 Oklahoma City

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Dozens of people were displaced after a five-alarm fire tore through a mixed-use building in Somerville, Massachusetts.

Photos from the scene showed crews at 1135 Broadway in Teele Square. The fire started just after 5 p.m. Wednesday. Flames were not visible at the scene as firefighters fought the blaze into the evening, but a large amount of smoke was seen at the building. Four buildings were damaged, each containing 8 apartments.

“We had to pull all the ceilings on the top floor, and I had a number of crews on the roof to get the roof open to let the fire vent itself,” Somerville Fire Chief Charles Breen said. “It’s just been a tremendous amount of work.”

Warren Thanes, who lives in the building, said he was on his way home when he saw the flames. “I was sitting waiting for someone to go in there and get my cat,” Thanes said. “My cat is so precious to me and my partner; we need our cat. And I don’t know what’s going on. They told me to wait patiently.”

WCVB-TV ABC 5 Boston

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Fire officials are investigating after a shed in a Kennewick neighborhood was involved in a fire that destroyed the shed and a nearby camper trailer.

According to dispatch records, at about 2:20 p.m. on September 30, firefighters were called to a reported shed fire at a home near west Payette Avenue and north Sheppard Street. Firefighters arrived to find a shed burning close to a house with a large plume of black smoke coming from the structure. The fire had spread to a nearby camper trailer, and power lines were threatened by the flames.

Firefighters were able to get the fire under control quickly. The shed and the camper trailer were both destroyed by the fire, but the residents of the home were able to evacuate safely and were unharmed. An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.

Apple Valley News Now

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Central Pierce Fire and Rescue crews helped a 27-year-old woman earlier this month after recognizing she had gone into cardiac arrest. According to Central Pierce Fire and Rescue, crews were sent to help a woman having a seizure earlier this month. The first responders quickly realized that the woman, named Breeanna, was actually in cardiac arrest.

The crew immediately administered CPR and stabilized Breeanna before taking her to the hospital. Once there, they learned that Breeanna had undergone heart surgery “just days before calling 911.” During her hospitalization, Central Pierce firefighters reached out to check on her, and one of the responding firefighters realized they knew her dad.

“Through that connection, the crew learned that Breeanna had experienced complications from her surgery and needed to undergo another surgery,” wrote Central Pierce Fire and Rescue. Nearly a month later, the crew that helped save Breeanna’s life was able to reunite with her and her family.

“Moments like these give our firefighters a chance to see community members healthy and surrounded by their loved ones on a happy day, instead of on one of the most difficult days of their lives,” Central Pierce Fire and Rescue wrote.

KIRO-TV CBS 7 Seattle

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