A fire burning since Monday caused the partial collapse of the 85-year-old Portland & Western railroad trestle overnight. On Tuesday morning, a firefighter was lightly injured while battling the blaze. Alisa Cour, the Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue Spokesperson tells KOIN that the firefighter was injured when a log or piece of wood from the trestle fell onto him.
- PUB DATE: 8/11/2015 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: koin-tv 6 Portland

No one would would have blamed Tommy Hemphill if he retired after undergoing surgery for a brain tumor. The Columbia fire chief, 56, has served his hometown for nearly 30 years, rising to the top position after a distinguished career in the field. He has nothing to prove, as he’s been reminded repeatedly, to his peers, his colleagues or the citizens of Columbia.
- PUB DATE: 8/11/2015 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Columbia Daily Herald

For nearly a dozen years, top officials at the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection knowingly withheld death benefits from the families of 14 contracted firefighter pilots killed in the line of duty, according to a claim that seeks more than $4 million plus interest for the survivors.
- PUB DATE: 8/11/2015 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: sacramento bee

A pile of rags soaked with wood stain left in direct sunlight is being blamed for a 2-acre brush fire south of West Seattle. The fire erupted down a steep embankment early Monday afternoon in the 10900 block of 39th Avenue Southwest. Several homeowners called 911 saying they saw smoke billowing into the sky.
- PUB DATE: 8/10/2015 5:16:41 PM - SOURCE: KCPQ-TV FOX 13