Some Memphis City Council members hope to add a referendum on the Nov. 8 ballot that would require new city employees to live in the city limits, as Mayor Jim Strickland warned that tightening residency requirements could hurt public safety. Council member Martavius Jones, who is new to the council and is sponsoring the ordinance, said his research showed that about 60 percent of hires lived outside Memphis after a 2010 referendum allowed them to live anywhere in Shelby County.
- PUB DATE: 6/22/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: the commercial appeal

Butte County Fire Department, Oroville, CA, three tanker tenders. Kenworth T800 cabs and chassis; Cummins ISX15 455-hp engines; UPF Poly 3,000-gallon elliptical tanks.

Two consecutive record-setting years for wildfires in Washington caught the attention of state lawmakers. The budget passed this past spring generated funding for new equipment and hiring and training of new firefighters. Three fire academies across the state are bringing together local, state and federal agencies to train nearly 1,000 new firefighters for the summer wildfire season.
- PUB DATE: 6/21/2016 8:14:41 PM - SOURCE: KREM-TV CBS 2

Firefighters say a small brush fire today in Kennewick started from a welding torch at a construction site. About 5 acres burned in the area of South Sherman Street and West Hildebrand Boulevard around 2 p.m. Tuesday. Crews had the fire completely contained within a half hour of the initial call. Firefighters tell us it could be a busy summer for them.
- PUB DATE: 6/21/2016 7:35:24 PM - SOURCE: NBCRightNow.com