PHOTOS: Crews with Marion County Fire Rescue battled a massive fire in Dunnellon that was creating heavy, toxic smoke on Sunday morning.

The scene, near the intersection of E McKinney Avenue and North Williams Street, is the site of a large stockpile of CSX railroad ties where the fire broke out.

Railroad ties are pieces of wood, evenly spaced, that support steel rail tracks underneath a railroad.

MCFR said the ties are treated with creosote, a chemical preservative used to protect wood outdoors.

When creosote-treated wood is burned, it can release thick, irritating smoke, and authorities are advising residents to stay away from the area if possible.

WFLA-TV NBC 8 Tampa

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VIDEO: One person is dead and three other people were injured after a physical fight turned into a shootout in a Pioneer Square parking garage early Sunday morning. Police officers responded to the Sinking Ship parking garage around 1:30 a.m. where they found a man dead with a gunshot wound to the head.

A second victim, a male, was treated by Seattle Fire for life-threatening injuries and taken to Harborview Medical Center. A third victim, a female, was treated for a graze wound and also taken to Harborview in stable condition. A fourth victim, another female, showed up at Harborview with a graze wound later on. She is in stable condition.

KING-TV NBC 5 Seattle

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Spokane firefighters knocked down a garage fire in the Hillyard neighborhood late Thursday afternoon. According to a spokesperson for the Spokane Fire Department (SFD), the fire started in a detached garage in the 6100 block of North Lacey Street. Firefighters said that the fire was reported around 5 p.m. and was knocked down by about 5:15 p.m. Crews remained on scene for mop-up operations, and the fire did not spread to nearby homes. SFD said that no injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

KHQ-TV NBC 6 Spokane

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VIDEO: The Weslaco Fire Department has a new fire truck.

Rescue 1 is a heavy rescue pumper that cost the city $1.6 million.

The fire department said Rescue 1 will help address the growing demands in the city, and it’s capable of carrying all the equipment needed for all emergency calls.

“The crew on this truck will have all the equipment from hazmat, diving, water rescues, high angle, trench rescue, and all firefighting capabilities,” Weslaco Fire Chief Antonio Lopez said.

The department now has a total of eight fire engines in its fleet.

KRGV-TV ABC 5 Weslaco

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The Walla Walla Fire District 5 levy renewal is on the ballot for the February 10 election. This levy has backed emergency services in the community for over 30 years. Since 1990, the levy has been renewed every six years to help maintain critical emergency services throughout Walla Walla County. Fire Chief Mike Wickstrom emphasizes that this renewal is not a new tax but a continuation of funding the community has long supported.

“I think the big piece of it is, you know, each time we look at our ballot, we’re like, another tax, another tax. This is not; this is just a renewal. It’s something that’s really proven to be really sound and spent well throughout the County,” Chief Wickstrom said. This levy is fundamental to the county’s emergency medical services (EMS) system, which residents rely on heavily. Without it, fire officials say the county would face difficult decisions about how EMS is provided.

Apple Valley News Now

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