A veteran firefighter who nearly died fighting a triple-decker fire two years ago was promoted to the rank of battalion chief, ending a year-long legal battle. Joseph Fontaine was promoted in a ceremony Thursday, pinned by his wife in front of his friends and family. "I almost died to get to where I am," Fontaine said.
- PUB DATE: 6/4/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WPRI-TV Providence 12

Fire service advice to "stay put" in the Grenfell Tower fire had "effectively failed" within around half an hour of the fire starting, a report for the blaze inquiry has found. A safety expert said there was "an early need for total evacuation", but it was not an "easy decision to make". Dr Barbara Lane also suggested cladding was the primary cause of the spread of June's fire, which caused 72 deaths.
- PUB DATE: 6/4/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: BBC

Authorities say a 39-year-old off-duty firefighter was killed when his motorcycle struck a large bear on a Central Oregon highway and he was hit by another vehicle. Oregon State Police says Rhett Larsen, of Bend, died at the scene of Saturday night's crash on Highway 26 near Warm Springs. The Bend Fire Department on social media Sunday called the fire engineer a "respected leader" and that he is deeply missed.
- PUB DATE: 6/4/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: CBS News

A 2-alarm fire burned an apartment building in Kent Sunday morning. The fire broke out just after 9 a.m. in Building F at the Apex West Hill Apartments on 45th Place South. Firefighters arrived to see flames visible from the building. Firefighters believe the fire may have started outside the building and spread to the attic, according to Tim Perciful with Mountain View Fire and Rescue.
- PUB DATE: 6/4/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KOMO-TV ABC 4 and Radio 1000

It took "one of the better rescues we've ever done," according to Whatcom County Fire District 14 Chief Jerry Debruin, but crews were able to extract a 25-year-old female hiker/photographer from a rock in the middle of Racehorse Creek just above the large bottom waterfall at Racehorse Falls Saturday evening.
- PUB DATE: 6/4/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Bellingham Herald