PHOTOS: A man was safely rescued after he climbed a radio tower where he began yelling and refused to come down for nearly two hours Wednesday afternoon in Wonder Lake, prompting a major fire department response.

The Wonder Lake Fire Protection District, Wonder Lake Police Department and McHenry County Sheriff’s Office responded around 11:45 a.m. Wednesday to the area of South Drive and East Drive in Wonder Lake for a mental health call.

Sheriff’s deputies discovered a man climbing a radio tower adjacent to a building in the 7300 block of Hancock Drive. Deputies reported the man was refusing to come down and requested the fire department to assist. The tower appeared to be at least 60 feet tall.

Police shut down traffic on East Drive and also shut down Hancock Drive from Wonder Lake Road to Wonder Lake Drive and began working to negotiate with the subject. Bystanders reported the man was yelling, making threats and continued to refuse to come down.

Wonder Lake Fire Chief Matt Yegge said the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was activated to the box alarm level for a high-angle technical rescue response. Fire departments from throughout Lake County and McHenry County responded to the scene, including well over a dozen highly trained rescue technicians, “due to the significant height of the structure and the complexity of the situation,” Yegge said.

Lake & McHenry County Scanner

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Three people were taken to the hospital in critical condition following a house fire in Port Orchard on Thursday afternoon. Around 2:17 p.m., South Kitsap Fire & Rescue crews were called to a home on Fairview Boulevard, near Burley Glenwood Elementary, for reports of “heavy fire conditions” inside the mobile home, with possible victims trapped inside.

One victim was removed from the home by a neighbor and two more people had to be rescued from the home by South Kitsap Fire & Rescue. One of the people removed from the home was airlifted to Haborview Medical Center and the other two were taken by ambulance to a trauma center in Tacoma. All three were in critical condition. The cause of the fire is unknown. The investigation is ongoing.

KIRO-TV CBS 7 Seattle

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The union representing Richland firefighters is speaking out about a proposal by the city to annex part of the Hanford site, including one of the most radioactively contaminated hot spots on the nuclear reservation. The U.S. Department of Energy asked Richland to annex 744 acres of Hanford land. The proposal would make Richland firefighters responsible for responding to emergencies to the area.

The area is generally north of Horn Rapids Road and includes the federal HAMMER training facility and the 300 Area, including Buildings 324 and 325. Local units of the International Association of Fire Fighters notified the city in writing last week that it wants to be part of any discussion and decision that makes its members responsible for emergencies in an area with well-documented radioactive contamination.

“Our ask is to be included in the decision-making and the effects,” said Ricky Walsh, a retired Richland firefighters and representative to IAFF District 7, which serves Washington, Idaho and Montana. Earlier this month, Richland’s elected leaders voted 6-1 to proceed with the year-long annexation process after first clarifying it won’t relieve the federal government of its clean-up responsibilities and that the city is not taking ownership of the land. The city already provides utilities to the annexation area.

Tri-City Herald – Metered Site

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VIDEO: Spokane leaders are moving to speed up wildfire recovery as impacted residents shift from cleanup to reconstruction. The Brown Administration is bringing forward two ordinances for long-term recovery resources, and Mayor Lisa Brown expects the ordinances to move quickly through the city council so people can continue to move forward.

Brown said the city wants to see recovery take shape in stages. “And over time, we want to just start seeing the progress in place, the hazardous waste removal and then the debris removed and permits starting to pop up. And we’ve already got a couple of those happening and then ultimately rebuilds,” said Brown.

The city is also waiting for federal approval on a major disaster declaration. That would provide more funds to help impacted people and assist the city with lost infrastructure. The City of Spokane has compiled a public damage assessment dashboard that shows the status of every impacted structure and those generally within 500 feet of the burn area.

KHQ-TV NBC 6 Spokane

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Tri-Cities Animal Services is teaming up with local firefighters for an adoption event later this month focused on finding homes for pets and the firefighters helping them do it.

TCAS is hosting its Felines and Firefighters adoption event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 26 at the shelter at 1311 south 18th Avenue in Pasco. The event is free to attend, and folks who drop by will be able to meet adoptable cats and kittens, as well as dogs looking for homes. Visitors can also meet local firefighters while learning about the work that Tri-Cities Animal Services does.

Visitors can adopt on the spot at the event, and adoption fees are set at $50 per pet. All pets at the shelter are spayed or neutered, vaccinated and microchipped before going to their new home. TCAS staff urge those who are hesitant to adopt to look into volunteer and foster opportunities to help give shelter pets care and attention while they wait to find loving families.

Apple Valley News Now

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