Latest news with #FireMarshal'sOffice
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
New text alert system coming to Travis County
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Travis County announced it would soon launch a new system to notify residents of burn bans. Beginning June 1, the Fire Marshal's Office will move the burn ban notification system to a new system. With the new system, residents can opt in to the alerts by texting TCBURNBAN to 888777. Texas Burn Bans Map 'Timely information saves lives and property. Signing up for these alerts is one of the simplest and most important things residents can do to stay informed and safe,' said Travis County Fire Marshal Gary Howell. 'We're asking everyone to take a minute and sign up—so you'll always know when it's safe to burn, and when it's not.' The free service will provide updates on when a burn ban is issued or lifted, as well as when a Red Flag Warning is issued during high fire danger conditions. 'All current burn ban notification subscribers will need to opt in again to continue receiving alerts,' the county said. According to the county, residents will only receive messages related to burn bans and Red Flag Warnings in Travis County. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
20-04-2025
- General
- CBS News
St. Edmund Church in Queens badly damaged by fire a day before Easter
Easter Sunday services will not go on as planned at St. Edmund Church in Queens, following a fire on Saturday afternoon. Video shows heavy smoke and flames shooting out of the beloved Breezy Point house of worship, which was left a shell of its former self. Inside, the pews were scorched and the piano was destroyed. Outside, the effigy of Jesus Christ on the cross was charred beyond recognition. "That's scary damage because that was on the altar," said neighbor Debbie Egan-Chin, whose husband shot the footage that shows the heavy flames at around 2 p.m. Despite the extensive interior damage, the structure was left intact and there were no injuries. John Quaglione, with the Brooklyn Catholic Diocese, said the cause appears to be electrical in nature, but officials with the Fire Marshal's Office are still investigating. "The parish had just set up for Easter Mass earlier this morning and so at the time that the fire happened, there was nobody inside, but big response from the fire department, over 30 units, 140-plus EMS and FDNY personnel were on scene," Quaglione said. Parishioners are now planning to attend Easter Mass at two other nearby parishes. This is not the first time St. Edmund has been nearly destroyed. For many in the congregation, Saturday's fire brought back memories of Superstorm Sandy. "The smell of the fire just brings back so many memories of the storm and I think we had our closing here when we bought our house. It was right in there. And I just saw a woman, I said, 'How bad is it?' and she goes 'I got married in that church,'" neighbor Janie Culleton said. Bill King and his wife, Jean, walked down the aisle inside St. Edmund almost 38 years ago. "That window there, Father Connolly gave me a shot of whiskey before I walked out into the alter. So I remember looking out the window and seeing my friend pull up in his Volkswagen," King said. And hopefully there are more memories to come. On this Easter weekend, St. Edmund is ready for its own resurrection.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Weekend storm causes tornado and boat fire in the Wilmington area
A tornado touched down and a boat caught fire in the Wilmington area on Sunday, March 16, as a result of severe storms. A line of thunderstorms and high winds, part of severe weather that caused tornadoes and damage in several Southern states, reached the region by late Sunday afternoon. Lightning strikes sparked a boat fire in Hampstead while a tornado was confirmed Sunday night around Rocky Point. The Wilmington National Weather Service confirmed a tornado touched down around Herrings Chapel Road in Rocky Point. As of Monday morning, no injuries were reported. The boat, a 40-foot center console fishing boat, in the Washington Acres neighborhood caught fire at approximately 10:45 p.m., Pender County's Fire Marshal's Office news release states. No injuries were reported. However, the boat was a total loss. Stay informed: Accessing local journalism is even easier with the StarNews app A history of twisters: Tornadoes in North Carolina since 1950 Pender EMS and Fire successfully extinguished the fire, per the news release. Pender County Sheriff's Office, Pender County Emergency Management, North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission and the United States Coast Guard also provided support. Pender County Fire Marshal's Office investigated the incident. "Preliminary findings indicate that the fire resulted from a lightning strike, highlighting the potential hazards that severe weather can pose," Pender County's Fire Marshal's Office news release states. Savanna Tenenoff is a reporter for the StarNews. Reach her at stenenoff@ This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Tornado confirmed in Pender County, NC, on March 16
CBC
10-03-2025
- General
- CBC
New truck to beef up fire response in Champagne, Yukon
Social Sharing Yukon's Fire Marshal's Office delivered a brand new pickup truck to Champagne's scene safety response unit (SSRU) last week. The unit's main objective is to secure a scene and prevent fire from spreading to other properties or structures until a neighbouring fire department arrives. The tiny community, which had a population of only 22 people in 2021, relies on the Ibex Valley and Hootalinqua volunteer fire departments to put out fires. That response could take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and a half depending which department answers the call first. That's why the new truck is important. Kiara Adams, Yukon's fire marshal, said the 2024 Ford Super Duty F-350 pickup has a 300 gallon tank in the back and a pump that's capable of pumping 300 gallons of water per minute. It also has a one-inch hose and nozzle on a booster reel. "It makes it fairly simple and easy for a volunteer to be able to deploy the hose reel with a hundred feet of hose on it," she said. "Do something instead of watching" Heather Hougen, a member of Champagne's scene safety response unit, said there are up to 12 members who meet up for training once a month. The unit formed in September 2023, following a recommendation that stemmed from the Keno City Hotel fire in 2020. She said their training was put to the test within a year – when it responded to a tree fire last summer within the community. It had been struck by lightning. "It was a real eye opener on how quick something can happen and how vulnerable you are." Hougen said her unit, with the help of community members, were quick to act and put the fire out before outside help arrived. That's when she knew how important it was to have a response team in the community. Hougen said the new truck is a form of validation. She's looking forward to learning everything about the truck and how it works during the next training session. "We're proud of what we're doing," she said. Proper equipment critical for small communities Adams said there are currently six SSRU teams across the territory. There are also units in Ross River, Pelly Crossing, Old Crow, Destruction Bay and Keno City. She said another truck is currently in Whitehorse being outfitted with the same equipment. Adams said it will be delivered to another community with an SSRU. Adams said it's extremely important for communities without a fire department close by to have proper equipment, training, and resources readily available to them in the event of an emergency. Although, she said, prevention is key. "Our role as first responders is to make sure that we're prepared and adequately equipped to be able to meet the needs when they come," Adams said. Those needs come at all hours of the day, 365 days a year, she said. "It's very important and critical that we have the resources for the territory for us to respond adequately," she said. Adams said her office heavily relies on financial support from the territory to make things like this happen. She said the government has shown it's committed to improving fire services across the Yukon, but she knows more support is needed in order to provide high quality service.
CBS News
06-03-2025
- CBS News
Baltimore County man charged for setting semi-truck on fire along Maryland interstate
A Baltimore County man is facing charges for setting his semi-truck on fire on I-68 in Allegany County, Maryland, according to the State's Fire Marshal's Office. Robert Steven Silver, 42, from Cockeysville, was arrested on Tuesday on charges of second-degree arson, malicious burning/fraud, and reckless endangerment. He was released after posting a $10,000 unsecured bond, according to fire officials. Officials said a tractor-trailer caught fire around 8 p.m. on October 12, 2024, in the area of mile marker 50 in Cumberland. Investigators determined the intentionally set fire caused around $30,000 in damages. Deputy State Fire Marshals found that Silver left the disabled truck along the interstate, later returned to set the fire, and went back to Baltimore County. Family Safety Day On March 1, The Fire Museum of Maryland, located in Lutherville, hosted a Family Safety Day to give families resources and knowledge to stay safe in emergencies. The museum combined safety education and interactive activities for a day intertwined with fun and learning. "It's really important to be prepared for things...a fire, a hurricane, a tree that could fall on your roof, a flood, a snowstorm that knocks out your power. There are so many things to think about and here is where we will give you the information you need to be prepared," said Amy Landsman, Media Relations Director at The Fire Museum of Maryland. The safety day included fire safety tips to interactive activities from experts at Johns Hopkins, The Office of the State Fire Marshal, and the Baltimore County Fire Department, "It brings so many people into the museum to learn about the history. We believe that safety, and learning about safety, is such an important part of our mission," said Landsman.
