Fire Engineering News

A fire broke out on the roof of the gymnasium at Mashpee Middle-High School just after 9 a.m. Monday morning, prompting an immediate evacuation of students and staff. Thanks to regular fire drills and safety inspections, the evacuation was swift, with no injuries reported. Regular fire drills Mashpee Fire Chief Joseph Pelletier told WCVB he observed heavy smoke and fire emanating from the gym area upon arrival. Crews used a ladder truck to access the roof, where a heating unit had...

Winds picked up on Tuesday in Southern California and at least a couple of new wildfires broke out as firefighters remained on alert in extreme fire weather two weeks after two major blazes started that are still burning in the Los Angeles area. Gusts could peak at 70 mph (113 kph) along the coast and 100 mph (160 kph) in the mountains and foothills during extreme fire weather that is expected to last through Tuesday morning. Ripe for explosive fire growth Wind speeds ra...

Facing mounting questions over a chaotic evacuation, top L.A. County officials say they want to build a database of residents with disabilities who require help fleeing a neighborhood engulfed in flames. L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone told county supervisors at a public meeting Tuesday that the ongoing wildfires underscored the need for a “database to track people who have mobility challenges or health challenges.” “Trying to do it during an emergency is very, v...

A former executive assistant at UC Davis accused of embezzlement while working for the campus fire department made her first appearance Tuesday in Yolo Superior Court. Meagan Emily McFadden faces felony charges of misappropriating public money, embezzlement, along with an enhancement alleging aggravating circumstances. She also is accused of perjury. Thomas Johnson, McFadden’s attorney, entered not guilty pleas on behalf of his client. Different phases of the court...

An early-morning tent fire at a St. Paul homeless encampment this week spread to neighboring tents, displacing multiple people and leaving behind substantial charred property, according to the St. Paul Fire Department and encampment residents. St. Paul firefighters responded to the encampment behind the old Kmart on Maryland Avenue off Interstate 35E about 3:30 a.m. Monday. No injuries were reported. An occupant of the tent where the fire is believed to have...

Parched Southern California was forecast to face more dangerous winds on Wednesday but could get some badly needed rain this weekend, dampening the prospects of another round of deadly wildfires, though even a small amount of precipitation could create new challenges like toxic ash runoff. Los Angeles officials were preparing for that prospect even as a small number of residents were allowed to return to the devastated Pacific Palisades and Altadena areas and firefighters quickly controlled&n...

An historic St. Louis church was destroyed in a three-alarm fire Monday morning, presenting firefighters with a grueling battle against both flames and freezing temperatures. The fire consumed the former Frieden German Protestant Church, located near 19th and Newhouse. The fire was called in around 11:30 a.m. After an initial search, firefighters withdrew from the structure and conducted a defensive attack, extinguishing flames that briefly touched four nearby vacant buildings. Firefighters...

A large building at Mason City Recycling Center was heavily damaged in a fire Friday night. No one was present at the time of the blaze and no injuries were reported, according to a press release from the Mason City Fire Department. However, the absence of nearby fire hydrants presented a significant challenge for firefighting efforts, requiring water to be shuttled to the scene. In addition, cold temperatures and strong winds causing the flames to spread to outdoor equipment and su...

Firefighters rescued two women from an apartment building fire in Hartford Monday. The fire broke out around 9:30 Monday evening on Weathersfield Avenue near Cole Park, initially igniting in an apartment on the first floor of a six-unit building, WFSB reports. Cause of the fire Firefighters arrived to find one woman hanging out of a third-floor window, calling for help. They used a ladder to bring her to safety. Another woman was rescued from a ground-floor apartment. Both women were tran...

Firefighters rescued two women from an apartment building fire in Hartford Monday. The fire broke out around 9:30 Monday evening on Weathersfield Avenue near Cole Park, initially igniting in an apartment on the first floor of a six-unit building, WFSB reports. Firefighters arrived to find one woman hanging out of a third-floor window, calling for help. They used a ladder to bring her to safety. Fire under control Another woman was rescued from a ground-floor apartment. Both women were...

A firefighting plane, commonly known as a SuperScooper, was grounded after being struck by an unauthorized drone during water drop operations in Los Angeles County. The LA County Fire Chief confirmed that the drone collision caused a hole in the plane’s wing, forcing the aircraft to land, Fox 11 reports. The incident happened around 1 p.m. Thursday, according to Los Angeles Fire Department PIO Erik Scott. Unauthorized drones in fire zones The plane, a Canadair CL-415, landed safely and...

The water system used to fight the Palisades fire in Los Angeles buckled under the demands of what turned out to be the most destructive fire in city history, with some hydrants running dry as they were overstressed without assistance from firefighting aircraft for hours early Wednesday. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was pumping from aqueducts and groundwater into the system, but demand was so high that it wasn’t enough to refill three 1-million gallon tanks in hilly Pac...

The water system used to fight the Palisades fire in Los Angeles buckled under the demands of what turned out to be the most destructive fire in city history, with some hydrants running dry as they were overstressed without assistance from firefighting aircraft for hours early Wednesday. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was pumping from aqueducts and groundwater into the system, but demand was so high that it wasn’t enough to refill three 1-million gallon tanks in hilly Pacif...

Firefighters from multiple departments worked to extinguish a fire at the Faith Tabernacle House of Prayer in Norristown. The fire, which broke out shortly before 7 p.m. on DeKalb Street on Tuesday, proved difficult to contain, with firefighters battling the flames for several hours in frigid and windy conditions, NBC 10 reports. The building’s multiple partitions have made it challenging to reach all the hotspots. No one was inside the church at the time of the fire. The church, ori...

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser. The 25-year-old firefighter killed in the Young Street fire Monday night has been identified as Jeffrey Fiala. Honolulu Fire Department Chief Kalani Hao said that Fiala, who had been with HFD for about a year and a half, and was dedicated member of the department who served with honor and courage. News conference at HFD “This tragedy has been truly heartbreaking for all of us,” Hao said at a news conference at HFD headquarters in Kaka...

Des Moines firefighters are working to determine the cause of a barn fire that killed multiple horses early Monday morning. The fire broke out at a property along Southeast 30th Street on the city’s east side around 6 a.m. after the property owner discovered his barn engulfed in flames, Local Five News reports. The barn housed 15 horses, and while some managed to escape, several perished in the fire. Firefighters faced challenging conditions as bitterly cold temperatures...

Insurance companies that stopped providing home coverage to hundreds of thousands of Californians in recent years as wildfires became more destructive will have to again provide policies in fire-prone areas if they want to keep doing business in California under state regulation. coverage in high-risk areas The rule will require home insurers to offer coverage in high-risk areas, something the state has never done, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara’s office said in a statement. Insurer...

Christmas Day is no different than any other day for volunteer and career firefighters. Volunteers leave their homes and families to answer alarms. Career firefighters leave their homes and families before sunrise to report to the firehouse for a 24-hour tour. They spend holidays with their second family at 'the house'.  stubborn dwelling fire On Christmas morning, 2024, volunteer and career firefighters joined forces to battle a stubborn dwelling fire in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey...

Quick action by a resident of a Bluffton apartment unit may have prevented a fire from spreading across multiple units or possibly, the entire complex. The simple act of closing interior doors contributed to containing the flames to within her bedroom. The Bluffton Township Fire Department responded to a report of a fire at the Emerson Isles Apartments, on Simmonsville Road, around 7 p.m. Wednesday. Fire crews Arriving in about four minutes, fire crews were able to put out the blaze before it...

In the world of firefighting, knowledge and tactics are always evolving, and the importance of staying informed cannot be overstated. The task of ventilation (horizontal and vertical) in residential structures has seen significant advancements through extensive research conducted by the UL Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI). This research has shed light on the intricacies of ventilation and its profound impact on fire dynamics. While the core task of ventilation remains largely unchanged, th...

In the ever-changing landscape of transportation, electric vehicles (EVs) signify a shift toward innovative progress. However, this innovation brings its own set of challenges, especially concerning EV fires. Firefighters confront a unique and multifaceted challenge when dealing with EV incidents. The Rules of Engagement for Electric Vehicle Battery Fires Training Minutes: Electric Vehicle Hazards EV Size-Up and Thermal Runaway: Lucid Air Firefighting efforts This article explores the c...