PHOTOS: On March 30, 1925, a fire swept through Mammoth Hot Springs that destroyed a number of buildings and a fleet of Yellowstone National Park (YNP) vehicles.

As park officials were preparing for the summer season, an oil furnace exploded in the blacksmith shop located within the Yellowstone Park Transportation Company’s maintenance building. Buses of Yellowstone Preservation Trust, a Montana-based historical organization and museum, posted to its social media account on Monday recounting the devastating fire that took place 101 years ago and destroyed over 80 vehicles.

“The explosion quickly scattered burning fragments all over the shop,” the post reads. “Fanned by a strong wind from the south, the fire spread quickly and completely destroyed a large number of park vehicles and the garage in which they were housed as well as machine, paint and top shops, and several homes with one being that of F. E. Kammermeyer, Transportation Superintendent. All were destroyed within an hour.”

According to the Preservation Trust, no fatalities occurred, and some mechanics who tried to save the garage and vehicles received only minor burns. The following vehicles were lost in the fire, totaling $500,000 in replacement costs: 22 White touring cars, 27 White TEB buses, 26 White model 15-45 buses, six trucks and several other vehicles that belonged to the Yellowstone Park Camping Company.

Buckrail

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Families were forced out of their homes after a fire broke out early Wednesday at an apartment complex in southeast Oklahoma City. Flames could be seen shooting out of the roof of a building at the complex near Southeast 44th Street and Sunnylane Road. Fire crews told KOCO 5 that at least eight apartments were involved, and at least two families are now without a home.

Authorities are working to determine how many people were inside the units when the fire started. “Initially we had a report from the on-scene security that the father said his daughter was missing, and we searched for her,” Battalion Chief Shane Williams said. “Did a primary and secondary (search) with negative results on both of them. We’re uncertain where she is at this time.” An investigation into what caused the fire is underway.

KOCO-TV ABC 5 Oklahoma City

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VIDEO: The Spokane City Council signed off on several major items Monday, impacting emergency response and housing. It was a busy night at the Spokane City Council. City leaders approved a series of decisions aimed at long-term growth and public safety. Their biggest investment? A new, unified computer-aided dispatch, or CAD System.

The city is moving forward with a contract with Hexagon to overhaul how 911 calls are handled. For the first time, police, fire and EMS will operate on the same system. It’ll cost $3.3 million for the first year and a little more than a million dollars in future years. The city plans to handle all of its emergency dispatch services by January 2028. Council also unanimously passed a joint resolution with Spokane County to expand land holdings near Spokane International Airport. The airport will buy one property now and lock in the option to purchase a neighboring home in the future.

KREM-TV CBS 2 Spokane

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Fire crews worked to extinguish a house fire in Cheney. Spokane County Fire District 3 dispatched crews to the 15800 block of South Whitehouse Lane at 3:47 p.m., according to public information officer Teri Bunce. A caller reported the fire started on the second floor before spreading to the first floor of the home. All occupants evacuated safely and there is currently no threat to other buildings or vegetation in the area, Bunce said. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

KHQ-TV NBC 6 Spokane

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A Parkland area woman was arrested on felony charges after she allegedly pointed a laser at a Washington State Patrol (WSP) airplane. Around 10:30 p.m. on March 27, deputies were notified by the WSP, from their aircraft, that they were being actively targeted by a green laser from the ground. The subject could be seen by the aircraft in a backyard in the Parkland area.

“From the aircraft, the Washington State Patrol was able to lead our deputies to the suspect’s location, providing a very detailed description of the suspect’s clothing and where they were located,” Pierce County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Carly Cappetto said. While deputies were en route, the suspect continued to shine the laser at the aircraft. When the deputies arrived, the suspect reportedly fled into a home.

She eventually came out and was taken into custody without incident. But not before spending more than 30 minutes allegedly trying to evade arrest by making reportedly false statements about having medical issues and other reasons why she couldn’t go to jail. The Tacoma Fire Department arrived and determined the suspect didn’t have any of the issues that she reported. The suspect then made one last effort to evade arrest by collapsing.

My Northwest

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