A group of first responders exposed to smoke from a Crosby, Tex., chemical plant fire after Hurricane Harvey are suing the owner of the plant for more than $1 million, saying that they vomited and gasped for air in the middle of the road in a scene the suit describes as “nothing less than chaos.” The responders allege that the plant owner, Arkema, minimized the dangers of exposure to the fire and failed to warn the responders manning the perimeter of the mandatory 1.
- PUB DATE: 9/8/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Washington Post

Intense wildfires plaguing much of the West have rekindled controversy over logging restrictions and fire management practices that critics say have created explosive fire seasons. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, took to the floor of the Senate on Thursday to describe the toll the fires have taken.
- PUB DATE: 9/8/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: U.S. News & World Report

If you are the fire chief commanding volunteers and you feel you have to make every emergency response because you believe that you are the best suited to take care of the public’s emergency service needs – there is something wrong with that picture. If you don't have the confidence in your people that they can perform the task you assign them and you expect them to perform, you may be the problem.
- PUB DATE: 9/8/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: FireRescue1

The minds of firefighters from Cowlitz County District 5 were racing on Thursday. And not just for the Archer Mountain Fire they plan to return to Friday. Chief Vic Leatzow said sometime early Thursday morning burglars broke into the firehouse on Todd Road, just outside of Kalama, while crews were battling the Archer Mountain Fire.
- PUB DATE: 9/8/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KGW

Clallam County Fire District No. 3’s call volume has consistently increased by 6 percent every year for the past two decades, Assistant Chief Dan Orr said. A recent service delivery study described the increase as “the single most significant challenge we face.” However, a federal grant could offer a “proactive” solution to the call volume by allowing the district to hire up to six more firefighters, Orr said.
- PUB DATE: 9/8/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Peninsula Daily News