VIDEO/PHOTOS: The Ohio State Fire Marshal paid tribute Thursday to North Royalton Firefighter Ryan Milligan, who was killed in the line of duty earlier this week.

Firefighter Milligan, 36, of Seven Hills, died Monday evening while battling a house fire in the 2100 block of West Royalton Rd. in Broadview Heights. A second firefighter, Andrew Protsman, 38, of Parma, suffered serious injuries in that same fire and remains hospitalized.

“The loss of one firefighter and the serious injury of another is a heartbreaking tragedy that resonates far beyond their department,” said State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon. “These firefighters answered the call to serve others without hesitation, placing themselves in harm’s way to protect their community.”

The State Fire Marshal’s Fire and Explosion Investigations Bureau is leading the investigation into the fire, which is being conducted in partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The cause of the fire remains undetermined.

WOIO-TV CBS 19 Cleveland

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The driver of a car was injured Wednesday morning after their vehicle plowed into a business in Orange County and then exploded into flames.

The crash happened just before noon on the 24000 block of Alicia Parkway in Mission Viejo. Officials with the Orange County Fire Authority said the car crashed into a nail salon before catching on fire.

An off-duty fire captain was at a business next door and immediately rushed to the scene, running into the building to make sure everyone inside was safe. Fire units also arrived and rapidly put out the fire.

The driver of the car was transported to the hospital. No other injuries were reported.

KTLA-TV CW 5 Los Angeles

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Rural fire crews, hampered by tough terrain and a lack of local infrastructure, spent a big chunk of Monday putting out a fire in the distant northern reaches of Walla Walla County near the Snake River.

According to the Walla Walla North County Fire District, at about 1:48 a.m. on November 2 firefighters were dispatched to a reported brush fire near the railroad tracks along the Snake River in the far northern reaches of Walla Walla County.

Fire officials said volunteer firefighters and the local fire chief spent more than two hours struggling through difficult terrain with limited access to find the fire. Officials said they finally found the fire at about 4 a.m. and quickly put it out.

Apple Valley News Now

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VIDEO: A man struggling in the Columbia River was rescued on Tuesday afternoon near the waterfront, according to the Vancouver Fire Department. Just before 2:30 p.m., Vancouver police and firefighters responded to the waterfront after callers reported seeing a man calling for help about 100 feet from shore.

Two rescue swimmers from the fire department jumped into the water and brought him to safety. Crews aboard a Portland Fire & Rescue boat then took him to a nearby dock, where he was taken to the hospital. Officials said he is expected to be OK.

KPTV FOX 12 Portland

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Vi Tran and most others in her Snohomish County neighborhood agree that nobody should be shooting off fireworks after the Fourth of July. But one household doesn’t see it that way. Hearing bangs and whistles in August, Tran called the county’s nonemergency line for the fifth time in a month.

Not a single ring was heard, just a short recorded message about language options. Then Ava answered. “SNO911 nonemergency line. How can I help you?” the steady, feminine voice said, just like a dispatcher would.

But Ava is not a dispatcher. It’s an AI agent that Snohomish County has been using for about two years for nonemergency calls. The technology is fielding these calls in 20 or more states nationwide and in at least eight Washington counties – Snohomish, Kitsap, Mason, Grant, Cowlitz, Clark, Chelan and Douglas.

For callers like Tran, Ava can drastically cut wait times. “Of course I’d rather be talking to a person, but it gets me where I need to be going,” Tran said in an interview.

The Spokesman-Review – Metered Site

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