A fire in the back of a duplex near Bellingham damaged two homes and displaced four people Saturday evening, Dec. 5, 2015. A resident in one of the units, a woman, called 911 around 4:50 p.m. to report a smell of smoke in her home at 3508 Bennett Drive, a rambler that had been converted into two homes, said Bellingham Assistant Fire Chief Bill Hewett.
- PUB DATE: 12/6/2015 3:29:37 AM - SOURCE: Bellingham Herald

Every day when he came to work, Mount Vernon firefighter Eric Tyree would thank his assistant chief, Jerry Banta. “I love my job,” Tyree said. “He’s the one who called and offered me the job.” Banta, who worked for the Mount Vernon Fire Department between 1973 and 1999 and was known for his passion for training firefighters, died Wednesday.
- PUB DATE: 12/5/2015 4:17:11 AM - SOURCE: Skagit Valley Herald (GoSkagit.com)

Every day when he came to work, Mount Vernon firefighter Eric Tyree would thank his assistant chief, Jerry Banta. “I love my job,” Tyree said. “He’s the one who called and offered me the job.” Banta, who worked for the Mount Vernon Fire Department between 1973 and 1999 and was known for his passion for training firefighters, died Wednesday.
- PUB DATE: 12/5/2015 4:17:11 AM - SOURCE: Skagit Valley Herald (GoSkagit.com)

Chief Ronald Giovannacci is pleased to announce that the Topsfield (MA) Fire Department has recently purchased a new rescue truck.

The 2015 Horton/Freightliner Rescue truck was delivered to the fire department on Wednesday, November 25, and replaced the department's 1995 E-One/International Rescue truck.

The new rescue truck is a licensed ALS transporting ambulance, like its predecessor, and is identified as Ambulance One to keep with the uniform terminology used at the Essex County Regional Emergency Communications Center.

"Every day, we continue to do all we can to meet the needs of our community and provide the highest level of prehospital care to our residents and visitors," Chief Giovannacci said. "I would like to thank the community for their ongoing support in that mission, and invite residents to stop by the station to see the new truck."

The Walmart store in Renton was evacuated late Thursday evening after a small fire broke out in the hunting department, according to Renton Fire officials. The call came in just after 9 p.m. reporting a small pile of clothing was on fire at the store at 743 Rainier Ave. South. But someone in the store had doused the flames with a fire extinguisher before firefighters arrived, and the fire was small enough that it did not trigger any sprinklers, fire officials said.
- PUB DATE: 12/4/2015 11:02:58 AM - SOURCE: KOMO-TV ABC 4 and Radio 1000