A volunteer firefighter killed in the line of duty 91 years ago is being honored after a storyteller located his long-lost grave in West Prestonsburg last month.

Milt Nelson was a firefighter in Prestonsburg in 1935 when he responded to a Feb. 3 fire that tore through six buildings in the city. Reports say the fire triggered an explosion, sending a pipe from one of the buildings into Nelson. The impact carried him 100 feet and killed him immediately.

Nelson is the Prestonsburg Fire Department’s only recorded line-of-duty death. The department discovered that designation several years ago and soon realized his grave, like his story, had been lost to time.

After seeing her recent work on social media, Captain Tyler Sparks reached out to Shannon Deskins, an Appalachian storyteller and former journalist, for help locating the burial site.

“Captain Sparks reached out to her and said, ‘Hey, we think he might be buried in West Prestonsburg. If you can find that grave, we would really appreciate it.’ It wasn’t a couple days later she found the grave,” said Celina Thomas, chief of the Prestonsburg Fire Department.

WKYT-TV CBS 27 Lexington

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PHOTOS: Large flames engulfed a city storage building near Happy Valley Park on Sunday afternoon.

The Happy Valley Public Works Operations Building, located at 13910 Southeast Ridgecrest Road, caught fire just before noon, according to Clackamas Fire.

Graham Morrison said he lives near the park and saw the smoke.

“We rode past this and then we came down to my friend’s house, past the park. And then literally 10 minutes later, we just see a giant thing of smoke and we come back and it’s on fire,” Morrison said.

People in the area were urged to stay inside due to the heavy smoke. On Sunday evening, Clackamas Fire said they tested the air and determined there were no further health concerns and lifted a shelter in place order.

“Just because the smoke was so thick and you know, the wind and it was hovering in the area. So, it was just put into place for the safety of the community,” a Clackamas Fire spokesperson said.

Authorities say the building held equipment used to maintain the adjacent Happy Valley Park, and that the east side of the park will be closed until further notice.

KPTV FOX 12 Portland

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VIDEO/PHOTOS: Firefighters in Longview are battling a large scrap pile fire at a recycling center, with officials urging all businesses and residents nearby to stay indoors. A large fire was reported at PNW Metals, a recycling center in Longview, Washington, with crews expected to remain on scene for several hours as suppression efforts continue. The Longview Fire Department and Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue are responding at the site.

Residents and businesses in nearby neighborhoods are being urged to stay indoors, keep windows and doors closed, and avoid breathing the smoke whenever possible. People with respiratory conditions, asthma or other health concerns are advised to take extra precautions and remain inside until conditions improve.

Around 2:45 p.m., the Cowlitz County Department of Emergency Management said in a post on social media that fire officials were emphasizing that residents in the area of the Port and the Highlands neighborhood should avoid the smoky conditions and shelter in place inside their residence.

KATU-TV ABC 2 Portland

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A wildfire in Stevens County less than two miles from Gifford prompted Level 3 “Go Now” evacuation orders in several areas, according to the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office.

Based on aerial estimates, the Bradeen Hill Fire has grown to an estimated 2,500-3,000 acres. Level 3 evacuations are in place for the Gifford area, meaning if you have not left the area already, you need to leave now. An evacuation map is available through the Sheriff’s Office’s ArcGIS page.

Addy-Gifford Road is closed with evacuation levels traveling northeast ranging from Level 3 “Go Now” to Level 2 “Get Set”. The Sheriff’s Office is urging the public to avoid the area.

The Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 3 deployed resources to help the Washington Department of Natural Resources and local firefighting agencies on the morning of July 26. Team 3 are also managing the Modrite Fire.

KREM-TV CBS 2 Spokane

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VIDEO: Crews are responding to a structure fire near I-90 near Pines and Mansfield. The Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) says the fire is burning all five floors of Building 8 of Eagle Rock Apartments. The fire is growing in size. SVFD says they got calls around 1:23 p.m. The fire has been upgraded to a multi-alarm fire.

According to SVFD’s Facebook post, the fire was upgraded to a 5-alarm fire. There are 60 personnel and 33 apparatus on scene. SVFD says they pulled out about 10 pets from the building, and some pets have passed away. It is unknown how many animals died. Witnesses tell KREM 2 the fire has spread to nearby trees.

KREM-TV CBS 2 Spokane

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