VIDEO: Inside the hangar at the Mission Fire Department’s headquarters sits a bright red gleaming unit that’s the newest — and smallest — addition to its fleet.

It’s a utility remote terrain vehicle, or UTV, that was paid for by a special grant from the governor’s office just for fire departments that are on or near the Texas-Mexico border.

Mission Fire Chief Michael Silva says it will come in handy fighting fires and for searches and rescues in the rugged South Texas border terrain.

“They’re all 4-wheel drive but it allows us to go on uneven terrain where our fire trucks and our ambulances cannot go,” Silva told Border Report on Tuesday as he showed off the unit.

It’s similar to an ATV, but UTVs have regular vehicle transmission, not motorcycle handles, and can hold multiple people.

This one seats four and has a special canopy rack that can be pulled down to keep victims and firefighters cool in the blazing South Texas heat. It also has souped up flood and scene lights, and a massive suspension system.

KVEO-TV NBC/CBS 23 Brownsville

The post Specialized UTVs help South Texas crews fight border-hopping fires appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

A house fire on Five Mile Prairie started in a dryer on Wednesday morning and was extinguished quickly, according to Spokane Fire Department firefighters at the scene. They said the fire was reported around 5:30 a.m., the department said. A mother living at the house noticed the fire first, coming from the dryer, firefighters said. Then she woke up her two kids and got them safely out of the house. Firefighters arrived and extinguished the fire within 15 minutes, they said.No one was hurt in the fire and the flames did not spread beyond the dryer.

KHQ-TV NBC 6 Spokane

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Hialeah Heights leaders will move ahead with a $43.6 million city hall expansion that does not include a facility for the police and fire departments.

The post Hialeah Heights (FL) Ditches Plan to Replace Temporary Fire Station appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

Two firefighters were unharmed when their fire truck caught fire Wednesday morning.

The post Elko (NV) Firefighters Respond to Apparatus Fire appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

Benton is acquiring a new $1.2 million fire engine to replace a 31-year-old truck.

The post Benton (IL) Moves Forward With $1.2 Million ‘Basic’ Engine Purchase appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.