Latest news with #RoundRockFireDepartment
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Round Rock Fire Department surprised with new gear to fight wildfires
AUSTIN (KXAN) – Williamson County Emergency Services District Nine surprised the Round Rock Fire Department's Wildland Team with new equipment on Tuesday. The wildland team specializes in fighting wildfires in Round Rock, whose work has become especially relevant with wildfires in recent months. Continuing drought conditions could increase the risk of wildfires this summer according to RRFD. Round Rock Fire Chief Shane Glaiser said wildfires are more common in the area than people might think, and many of the fires the wildland team responds to require specialized gear. 'If you look around there are lots of greenbelts, just some of the retention ponds, some of them are easy to get to with our normal brush trucks,' he said. 'When you get to the hike and bike trails, we are really limited on what we can get back there.' To respond to these fires, Williamson County officials surprised the wildland team with a Polaris Utility Task Wildlands vehicle that can hold 75 gallons of water and reach areas unreachable for firetrucks. Firefighters also received a purpose-built command center trailer and a specialized truck for responding to wildfires. 'It is like a kid in a candy store where we get this to open up our present,' Glaiser said on receiving this equipment. 'When we retire this set, it looks just as good as it does today,' he said. 'It's a way of showing respect to the citizens and their taxpaying dollars that that we put it to good use.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Round Rock FD warns of fire risks from charging devices
ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — The Round Rock Fire Department has a warning: Be careful where you're charging your everyday things. That's everything from your cell phone to that electric vehicle parked in your garage. Many people end up charging their cell phones on their bedside table, or worse, in bed next to them. After a recent fire caused by an ion battery, firefighters are warning people to think twice before charging up. Chevrolet Bolt EV recalled again to fix possible battery fire 'Because [these batteries] are in everything, all fire departments across the country are starting to see these kinds of problems,' said Round Rock Fire Department Battalion Chief John Collins. Batteries are igniting inside homes, many times because people are just trying to save some cash. 'A charger that's cheaper, that you might have found online, didn't come with your original item, it likely doesn't have the same resistor requirements that you need, and that's where our problems can kind of come in,' Collins explained. Those batteries can be found in everything — smartphones, vape pens, electric cars and bikes. 'All of those have a potential for catastrophic failure at a heat level that your water basically turns it immediately into steam and doesn't do anything to actually put out the fire,' Collins explained. Nissan Leaf recalled for possible battery fire while fast charging It's something many fire departments do not have special equipment for. However, in Round Rock, some of its fire engines are now equipped with special gloves that can withstand heat up to 2,000 degrees or a giant blanket used to put out an electric vehicle fire. However, battery fires are something all fire departments are now having to adapt to as technology evolves. While Collins said many might want to try and take matters into their own hands, he cautioned it can make matters worse — sometimes becoming a deadly mistake. 'I don't think people realize, fully, the problem a battery has simply from off-gasses,' he said. That's why he wants people to be smart about what's being charged in the first place. It took 50,000 gallons of water to put out Tesla Semi fire in California, US agency says 'If at all possible, do not block major exits, your garage, or somewhere else,' Collins said. 'You want to be able to charge it somewhere where you can still have access in case of an emergency.' Collins added many of these fires are prompted by things happening very slowly over time so it's something most don't recognize until it's too late. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Round Rock firefighters return from California
The Brief Round Rock firefighters returned from California after helping battle wildfires. The crews have been in California for weeks. Rain over the weekend has helped crews put out fires. ROUND ROCK, Texas - Round Rock firefighters are back in Texas after traveling to California to help battle wildfires devastating the state. The fire crews have been in California over the last few weeks. Round Rock Fire Department says that the team helped mitigate hotspots and helped the public with any needs. What they're saying "Thank you to these members of our team for the work they do here at home, and to help other communities when called upon," wrote the Round Rock Fire Department on Facebook. Los Angeles got much-needed rain over the weekend and at the start of the week, marking a positive break for Southern California after three weeks of nonstop fires. Evacuation orders were lifted allowing Pacific Palisades residents to return home for the first time in weeks on Tuesday. The Hughes Fire has approached full containment with 10,425 acres burned. The Huges Fire was first reported in the Castaic area on Wednesday, Jan. 22 along Lake Hughes Road near Castaic Lake. The Palisades Fire is 95% contained with 23,448 acres burned, Cal Fire officials said. Evacuations were downgraded as the Pacific Palisades is limited to resident-only access. The Palisades Fire broke out on the afternoon of Tuesday, Jan. 7 as parts of Southern California were hit by powerful Santa Ana winds – the strongest to hit the area in over a decade, officials said. The fire extended well over 23,000 acres in seven days, destroying homes and businesses across the Pacific Palisades and Malibu. The latest numbers from Cal Fire report the Eaton Fire is 99% contained with 14,021 acres burned. The Eaton Fire was first reported on Tuesday, Jan. 7. Some residents did not survive the flames and at least 7,000 structures were destroyed. The Source Information in this article comes from the Round Rock Fire Department and FOX 11 LA.
