VIDEO: The retired San Francisco firefighter at the center of a bitter insurance fight has lost his battle against cancer.

Ken Jones passed away Saturday, 14 months after being diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. We first told you about Jones in January — when the 17-year veteran and supporters asked the City Commission for help.

The Fire Department’s insurance carrier, Blue Shield, denied coverage for some of his recommended treatments.

Ken Jones was 70 years old. “After we got some publicity, thank you, a Blue Shield physician reached out to Ken’s physician, and they worked out a different plan that Blue Shield would cover. It’s still an incomplete plan,” said Helen Horvath, Jones’ wife when ABC7 Eyewitness News spoke to her in January, 2026.

Since then, Jones’ story has led to an investigation into other cases, with the city’s mayor vowing to support firefighters.

According to San Francisco’s Health Service Board, about 5,000 city employees and retirees are insured by Blue Shield. Now, city leaders are asking anyone who has been denied cancer treatment to speak up.

Tony Stefani with the Cancer Prevention Foundation said firefighters with a cancer diagnosis have a 14% higher chance of dying than other cancer patients in the general population.

KGO-TV ABC 7 San Francisco

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A building belonging to an electrical contracting company in Randolph was destroyed in a fire Wednesday night, according to responding fire officials.

According to the Gardiner Fire Department, a storage building caught fire on the Coutts Brothers property on Barber Road.

The company posted about the “significant fire” on its Facebook page and said it happened in one of the barns on the property.

Nobody was hurt in the fire or during the response to put it out. Several towns were called for mutual aid, including the West Gardiner and Chelsea Fire Departments. Officials could not say what caused the fire.

WMTW-TV ABC 8 Poland Spring

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An unattended charcoal grill caused a fire on an apartment patio Tuesday night. It happened around 11 p.m. at the Manorvale Apartments in Spokane Valley. Spokane Valley Fire crews say they saw heavy flames coming from the second-floor patio when they arrived, and the fire was threatening nearby apartments.

The fire was brought under control quickly and did not spread. Investigators say the cause was accidental. A charcoal grill that was left unattended after it was used and was believed to be extinguished. The coals smoldered for several hours before lighting items on the patio on fire.

“This incident is an important reminder that charcoal briquettes can retain heat for many hours after cooking is finished,” said Assistant Fire Marshal Ben Reece. “Even when a grill appears to be out, hot embers can remain capable of starting a fire.” Two people are displaced, and no one was hurt.

KAYU-TV FOX 28 Spokane

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A nude woman was rescued from the Spokane River Wednesday evening after callers reported seeing her floating on her back toward the dam. According to the Spokane Fire Department, the woman initially refused to exit the water when contacted. The fire department said she eventually agreed, and emergency crews were able to throw her a buoy attached to a rope. The woman was then placed in an ambulance and taken to a local hospital.

KAYU-TV FOX 28 Spokane

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Dry and hot conditions are creating concerns in the early part of the fire season. Christel Bennese, lead meteorologist at the Pendleton National Weather Service, said the region is more vulnerable to fires from June through September. Bennese said below-average winter snowpack, warmer temperatures and drier conditions all raise the fire risk.

“If you look at the fire weather outlook, we are sitting in the red, which means that we do have the chance for significant wildland fires,” Bennese said. “So it just means that over the next 3 to 4 months, we’re going to stay in a higher risk of potential of seeing significant wildland fires.” Kennewick Fire Chief Michael Heffner said the department has been preparing and training before any major wildfires happen.

KNDO-TV NBC 23 Yakima

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