Heather Morrison
masslive.com
(TNS)

Multiple fire hydrants malfunctioned due to the cold as firefighters battled a house fire Monday, officials said.

At around 7:30 a.m. Monday, firefighters responded to 63 Church St. in Merrimac. Firefighters saw smoke coming from the common wall between two homes of a 2.5 story wood frame multi-family house.

“Multiple fire hydrants were malfunctioning, likely due to the cold,” the Merrimac Fire Department said in a statement.

• Read more: Mass. woman charged with fatally poisoning boyfriend with antifreeze chemical

Instead, firefighters had to use water on board the fire trucks.

“The firefighting effort was not adversely affected,” the statement read, adding that aid from surrounding cities and towns was requested for “additional manpower and support.”

There were no reported injuries and the fire was declared under control by 8:42 a.m., officials said.

• Read more: West Springfield Fire Dept. makes Christmas Eve rescue in Conn. River

Both families were displaced temporarily due to the utility service being disconnected. And at least one of the families will be displaced for longer as repairs are needed.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Merrimac Police and Fire Departments and the Massachusetts State Fire Marshal’s Office.

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An alleged drunk driver turning in front of a fire engine Monday in Gordon County caused the fire engine to flip on its side, Georgia State Patrol troopers said.

Emergency crews were called to the rollover crash on GA 3 near Soldiers Pathway just after 2 p.m. Monday, 11alive.com reported. Troopers said the fire truck was traveling southbound in the left lane when a silver Dodge van traveling in the opposite direction turned in front of the fire truck. 

As the driver of the fire engine tried to avoid crashing into the van that was edging into its lane, it flipped, according to GSP. The driver of the van did not stop and continued on, the report said.

Troopers found video footage of the crash from a nearby convenience store which showed the van traveling onto Soldiers Pathway, the report said. Gordon County deputies soon found the van and its driver, who was believed to be under the influence of alcohol, according to GSP.

The driver is now facing a DUI charge, among other traffic-related charges, the report said. The firefighter that was in the emergency vehicle was taken to a nearby hospital to get checked out. He’s expected to be OK.

Shawnee (KS) officials held a groundbreaking ceremony December 21 at the John B. Glaser Fire Station Headquarters at 6501 Quivira Road to kick off their $26 million renovations project.

Renovations are underway at both Fire Station 71 at 6501 Quivira and Fire Station 73 at 6805 Hedge Lane Terrace. The City Council approved final designs and pricing in December. There are some temporary changes while renovations are happening that you can read about here.

Project details: Both stations will have aging mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems updated, ShawneeMissionPost.com reported.

• Their interiors will also be upgraded, most notably to allow for more privacy for an increasingly co-ed firefighting force.
• There will also be changes in lighting and sound volume that will make the space less stressful for employees who must be on call to answer alarms at all hours.
• A new alerting system at both stations will be installed that will reduce the number of alerts firefighters hear that are not specific to their own shifts.

The fire headquarters building will be reoriented with a new entrance for the administration staff, and new ambulance bays will be added that will help separate pedestrian traffic from emergency traffic.

• Fire Station 73 will get a 2,000-square-foot addition to its space to expand living quarters and a kitchen area.

Construction is expected to be complete in late spring or early summer of 2024.

It can climb a 50-degree grade, flatten the standard chain-link fence surrounding an airport and accelerate from zero to 50 miles an hour in 17 seconds, News-Gazette.com reported.

Introducing University of Illinois Willard Airport’s first new fire truck in more than 19 years — a 2023 Oshkosh Striker — purchased courtesy of the Federal Aviation Administration, which picked up 100 percent of the approximately $700,000 tab, the report said.

It’s the airport’s second Striker, with a 2003 model now serving as the backup, according to an airport official.

Two other fire trucks that served the airport, 1974 and 1976 models, have been retired, the report said.

Some things to know about this new truck:

• It’s about 18 feet wide, 36 feet long and 10 feet tall.
• It’s got a powerful engine and is designed to reach a top speed of 70 mph but can actually hit 80 mph, the fire official said.
• It’s got a monster-sized track designed to keep it upright.
• It shoots three different firefighting agents out of the front — water, foam and dry powder.