VIDEO: Last year, ABC7 introduced you to Patrick McDermott, a retired firefighter who was in desperate need of a kidney. On Tuesday night, we are happy to report that he now has one. Patrick underwent kidney transplant surgery a few weeks ago, and he is doing well.

He is crediting his wife for encouraging him to put his story out there and ABC7 viewers for stepping up to help save his life. “My faith is always with me,” Patrick said. “I have to look to God every time I get up before I put my feet on the ground.”

Overcome with gratitude and a new appreciation for life, Patrick has a new organ in his body. His kidney transplant surgery was a success. “I’m feeling better than I felt, and that’s a blessing,” Patrick said. “I feel like it’s a second chance.”

WLS-TV ABC 7 Chicago

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This weekend at the DAYTONA 500, seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, in partnership with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, Pye-Barker Fire & Safety and Carvana will wear a new “Helmet of Heroes” honoring America’s fallen firefighters.

Often when asked what he might have become from a profession standpoint if not a racecar driver, Johnson points to firefighting—a calling shaped by his upbringing in El Cajon, Calif., a community deeply impacted by major wildfires. That lifelong respect for courage, service, and sacrifice is at the heart of this weekend’s tribute.

“Growing up in El Cajon, I saw firsthand how much firefighters mean to their communities,” said Johnson. “I’ve always said that if racing hadn’t worked out, I would have wanted to be a firefighter. The courage, selflessness, and commitment it takes to do that job is something I deeply respect. The ‘Helmet of Heroes’ is about honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice and standing with the families who continue to carry their legacy every day.”

Through the Helmet of Heroes program, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB is honoring the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), which was created by the U.S. Congress to honor fallen firefighters, support their families, and reduce line-of-duty deaths and injuries.

Jayski.com

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VIDEO/PHOTOS: Crews in Kirkland located a deceased person after battling a fire that badly damaged a home and its garage Tuesday morning. The flames at the house on 79th Pine, not far from Finn Hill Middle School, were reported around 3:45 a.m. by concerned neighbors who called 911, according to police.

Investigators at the scene told KOMO News that a portion of the home’s roof collapsed, as did several walls and the floor. Two hours after the fire started, firefighters continued to put out hot spots as smoke rose from the building. While police assisted with the evacuation of neighboring homes, Kirkland firefighters worked to extinguish the fire and searched the home.

KOMO-TV ABC 4 Seattle

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PHOTOS: The contents of a storage unit near a busy Kennewick street are severely damaged after a fire on Tuesday morning. According to dispatch records, at about 8:02 a.m. on February 10, fire crews were dispatched to a reported structure fire at a storage complex on Edison Street, near Clearwater Avenue, across from Kamiakin High School. Firefighters arrived to find black smoke billowing from a fire in a unit at the complex. Multiple firefighting units used water and a ladder truck to contain the fire, and the blaze was extinguished just before 8:30 a.m.

Kennewick Fire Department and Benton Public Utility District crews responded to the fire. Firefighters said that although the contents of the storage unit are not believed to be a total loss, they are severely damaged by smoke and water. Firefighters are conducting clean-up and investigation at the scene. The cause of the fire is not yet known. No injuries to firefighters or other people at the storage complex have yet been reported.

Apple Valley News Now

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As the Inland Northwest grapples with drought conditions, the Spokane Fire Department is preparing for what could be an early and extended fire season. Justin De Ruyter from the Spokane Fire Department explained the challenges ahead. “We know we’re gonna have fires earlier, possibly longer. And then and typically at bigger you just got more fields that are drier and available to burn. It takes time,” said De Ruyter.

The U.S. Drought Monitor has characterized the region as “abnormally dry,” raising concerns among firefighters about potential resource shortages. De Ruyter noted, “For us it’s more of a probably fire season starting earlier, potentially lasting longer. And then the other concern just be the resources being tied up on other fires.”

Idaho Governor Brad Little also expressed his concerns during a recent conference, specifically about the lack of snowpack. “If our snowpack remains in this dire shape, those problems are going to come to fruition very soon,” said Little.

KAYU-TV FOX 28 Spokane

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