Fire heavily damaged a 100-year-old home at 2128 Franklin St. in the Sunnyland neighborhood north of Bellingham High, fire officials said Sunday, May 8. “Three men lived at the home, and one of the men was working in the yard when he heard a window break and saw smoke was pouring out,” said Assistant Chief Bill Hewett of the Bellingham Fire Department.
- PUB DATE: 5/9/2016 1:57:22 AM - SOURCE: Bellingham Herald

A volunteer firefighter in Johnston County died after responding to a vehicle crash in Kenly on Saturday, officials said. John Morris Davis Jr., 45, a Kenly firefighter, was among fire crews who responded to a crash on Princeton-Kenly Road, the fire department said a statement to the media. “He just wanted to help people, whether it was helping people at the fire station or helping the public,” said Tim Little, Kenly Asst.
- PUB DATE: 5/9/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WNCN-TV NBC 17

The Old Orchard Beach fire chief – who has worked previously at numerous fire departments in Maine and elsewhere in New England and the U.S. – was charged with arson early Saturday for allegedly setting the April 15 fire that burned 42 acres of the Jones Creek Marsh and forced the evacuation of a nearby condominium complex.
- PUB DATE: 5/9/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Central Maine

The FDNY’s latest graduating class of 310 probationary firefighters had the lowest drop-out rate in years, but some question whether the training was watered down. The class started with 324 and lost only 14 due to resignations, failure or injuries — a 4 percent drop-out rate, sources said. The usual dropout is 10 percent or more.
- PUB DATE: 5/9/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: new york post

A 12 News investigation has revealed that Phoenix Fire Marshal Jack Ballentine personally accepted a $100,000 check while on duty from a philanthropist whose business, the Madison Improvement Club, had failed its fire inspection 11 months earlier. The money was a donation for the 100 Club of Arizona.
- PUB DATE: 5/9/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: 12news