VIDEO: It’s one of the most notable fires in Hampton Roads history, as two firefighters were killed battling a fire at an auto parts store in Chesapeake.

Thirty years later, the scars still run deep.

Now, a documentary is out about that fire and the two men who gave their lives that day. It’s called “Brothers in Arms,” and Battalion Chief John Gibson said the two men are still impacting lives.

Monday, March 18, 1996 saw a tragedy no one could have foretold. Firefighters Frank Young and Johnny Hudgins were responding to a fire at the Advanced Auto Parts on Indian River Road.

While inside, debris fell, trapping them. And because radio technology in 1996 was primitive compared to today, their distress call was not heard by the crew. They died inside the building.

But that’s not the moment they want people to remember them in.

“These guys were best friends,” said Chesapeake Fire Battalion Chief John Gibson. “So, Frank Young was John Hudgins’ best man at his wedding.”

Gibson was off-duty at the time of that call 30 years ago.

WAVY-TV NBC 10 Portsmouth

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VIDEO: A Kalamazoo Public Safety Officer made what the department says is a life-saving catch. Friday around 4 p.m., officers arrived to a house on fire with flames coming out of the roof on Washington Avenue in Kalamazoo, near James Street. Dispatchers were on the phone with a mother who said she and her baby were trapped inside, the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety told me.

Police say body camera video of the incident captured the harrowing moment where dispatch lost contact with the mom.

Moments later, an officer spotted the mother through the upstairs window of the home. He told her to kick out the screen window and drop her baby to him.

After catching the infant, the officer handed the baby off to another officer, then put a ladder under the window to get the woman out safely, said the department.

That officer made sure no one else was inside the home, then got back to his vehicle, put on his turnout gear, and assisted with putting the fire out.

WXMI-TV FOX 17 Grand Rapids

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According to dispatch records, at about 9:04 a.m. on May 21, fire crews were dispatched to Hendricks Road southwest of Othello for a reported vegetation fire. Crews arrived to find a rapidly-spreading grass fire in the area, and more fire crews were requested to the area.

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office said Hendricks Road was closed between Mt. Vista and Sagehill Road due to the fire. Officials said emergency personnel worked to contain the fire. Officials said the fire had burned about 275 acres as of 12:15 p.m. Containment efforts are underway.

Apple Valley News Now

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Spokane firefighters had the opportunity for training without intense heat at a building destined for demolition in west Spokane Thursday afternoon. The building, located at 1310 W. Boone was recently purchased by Spokane Transit Authority along with two other buildings on the same block. STA purchased the three buildings so it can expand its Fixed Route Operations Center. STA said it has outgrown the current location on the south side of Boone Ave.

STA is in the very beginning stages of the new facility and doesn’t expect construction to begin until 2028. The brick apartment building the firefighters are using for training was built in 1905. The house directly to the west of the apartment building was built in 1901. The home on the corner of Boone and Adams was built in 1905. All three properties are currently fenced off.

KAYU-TV FOX 28 Spokane

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A new report by UL's Fire Safety Research Institute highlights risks of lithium-ion battery fires in passenger railcars, recommending design changes, device policies, staff training, and public education for safety.

The post UL Research Institutes Releases New Report Examining the Fire Safety Hazards of E-Mobility Devices on Passenger Railcars appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.