Latest news with #fireprevention
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Basin firefighters see busy weekend
Jun. 2—"Let's just be careful, and let's have a great summer. Everybody needs to do their part in keeping everyone safe." Jim Stucky, Chief Grant County Fire District 13. QUINCY — Over the weekend, two wildfires and a home fire in Grant County and, as of Sunday, the county is in a burn ban effective until at least Sept. 30. "Be aware of what the rules are and follow the burn ban stipulations. We prefer not burning at all," Grant County Fire District 13 Chief Jim Stucky said. "If you are going to do a campfire or whatever, make sure you have water nearby, don't let it get too big and make sure it is fully out and cold to the touch before you go to bed for the night." Grant County Fire District 3 Chief David Durfee reiterated a similar sentiment, saying that his department had a busy weekend and he is hoping the burn ban will slow things down. "It's just like the fires that happened this weekend, I know that the burn ban was not in effect during our fires, but we have these wind events or weather events that come through," Durfee said. "It's vital that people just remain alert during the dry season and fall under the restrictions. It takes everybody to do their part, and just following the regulations would be huge." Grant County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman said people need to remember there are consequences, both punitive and legal, for burning during the ban. "I just ask everyone to honor the burn ban we have in place due to a past history in this county of several wildfires, and some of those wildfires burned down people's homes," Foreman said. "We certainly don't want that to ever happen, and so the public's cooperation is appreciated." The penalties for burning during the ban range from $150 to $500, depending on the offense, according to Grant County Ordinance 17-082-CC. "If you are found to be burning, the consequences can be a warning but if you're found to be burning and it causes a wildfire, especially one that damages someone else's property, you may be subject to a citation or a court date," Foreman said. Ancient Lakes Fire The Ancient Lakes Fire, which started Saturday night outside of Quincy Lakes, is now fully contained as of Sunday night, according to Durfee. GCFD3 was called to a fire in the Quincy Lake Area Saturday night. Soon after arriving at the scene, crews realized the fire was near Ancient Lakes, where firefighters would have limited access. Durfee said Grant County Sheriff's Office deputies came out and helped evacuate Quincy Lakes Recreational Area as they began working to contain the fire. Durfee said when they arrived on scene, the fire was at about 50 acre,s but because of winds at around 40 miles per hour, it quickly spread to around 146 acres. "The wind was pushing the fire," Durfee said. However, with the help of GCFD 3, Grant County Fire District 8, Ephrata Fire Department, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bureau of Land Management, Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service, they were able to stop the fire from spreading further. "Well, with the cooperation of regional partners, it was great," Durfee said. "We were able to get control of it pretty early, being that it was at night and an unknown territory. We came up with a plan with multiple agencies the next day and secured it while getting some of our units back in service, while maintaining lines and controlling the fire." The fire is under investigation by BLM. Crews will remain on scene for the next couple of days, managing hot spots and ensuring the fire doesn't reignite. "The main fire is out. They're just working on controlling lines," Durfee said. Highway 28 Fire On Saturday, Grant County Fire District 13 was called out to a controlled burn Sunday morning that was not fully extinguished and spread to nearby vegetation from high winds. "The guy had been a control burn on Saturday, and then his claim was that he hosed everything down really well," Stucky said. "He had piled some grass clippings on top of where he had burned the day before, and it actually started on fire Sunday morning. That's when we got called out." The fire was located just north of Ephrata in the 1900 block of Highway 28 West. Firefighters from the Ephrata Fire Department, Grant County Fire District 13, Grant County Fire District 7, Grant County Fire District 8 and Bureau of Land Management of Oregon and Washington assisted with the blaze. "Just make sure that everything that you've been burning is completely out before you put anything else on top of it," Stucky said. "If you have been burning, just give it a little extra water. But then again, don't burn anymore. We're done." Despite the strong winds, the departments were able to stop the fire from jumping onto the train tracks. The fire only scorched around six acres. Law enforcement has had contact with the responsible party, according to GCFD3. "It was a little busier than we like for sure, I think it was for everybody in the neighborhood," Stucky said. Quincy House Fire On Sunday night, a house fire resulted in the death of one Quincy man, according to GCSO. GCFD 3 was called to the 17000 block of Road 5-Northwest at around 11 p.m. for a single-family dwelling that was fully engulfed in flame, according to Durfee. Durfee said the initial report said someone was in the residence. When the crew arrived, they tried to enter the residence, but heat and smoke prevented firefighters from doing so. "We tried to go inside. We tried to do an offensive tactic with rescue measures and tried to put the fire out and stop the spread," Durfee said. "Instead, we had to go on the defensive and just try to control the incident and ensure it didn't spread." After the fire was extinguished, first responders recovered the body of 72-year-old Darrwin L. Kunish from inside a bedroom. Kunish's remains are in the care of Grant County Coroner Craig Morrison, whose staff will conduct an autopsy. Kunish's family was notified, according to Foreman. The fire is under investigation by the Grant County Fire Marshal's office. Other fires outside Grant County: The Ayers Fire, also known as the Meals Road Fire, scorched around 450 acres over the weekend. The fire is fully contained as of Monday, according to Benton County Fire District 1. The fire was located near the Oregon border. The Les Blair Fire began May 31 around 2 p.m. and burned around 510 acres. It began near an orchard, according to Benton County Fire District 1. As of Sunday night, the fire was around 60% contained with crews on site enforcing containment lines. As of Monday, the fire is fully contained. The Second Creek Fire, which ignited around noon May 26, is sitting at around 80 acres and is roughly 38% contained as of Friday, according to Chelan County Fire District 3. The fire was likely started by a human, but it's under investigation.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Letters to the Editor: Inmate firefighters deserve the chance of a meaningful career after incarceration
To the editor: If the Fire Act passes, thousands of current fire camp inmates trained in the best practices in fire prevention and active abatement will complete their incarceration with hope for meaningful employment anywhere in our nation ('Under Fire Act, inmate firefighters could have a new pipeline to employment,' May 27). In my seven years as chaplain to Fire Camp 13 in Malibu, I witnessed hundreds of women become empowered and renewed while protecting our forests, mountains and homes. They were the first responders to the plane crash that killed Kobe Bryant and his daughter and friends. They cleared brush and treated the site respectfully and sorrowfully. These women faced the Palisades and Eaton fires for us. With our gratitude, let these trained firefighters share their courage and skills anywhere in the USA. Nan Cano, Westlake Village .. To the editor: I applaud Reps. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Los Angeles) and Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) for introducing a bill to fund, mentor and ensure long-term employment for former inmate firefighters. Years ago, I was appalled to learn how little we pay firefighters, and even less to inmates who also put their lives on the line fighting fires. Andony Corleto and other former inmates who have proven their mettle should be encouraged and helped toward a firefighter career. We need to prepare all inmates to rejoin society with the skills to make a decent living. My grandfather, who was a prison warden in Campeche, Mexico, way back in the 1930s, had prisoners learn to weave hammocks and opened a prison-run bakery. They did so well that some of the prisoners' wives asked my grandfather to keep them in prison beyond their sentences — they made more money there than they had ever made! Let's support this federal bill. Carmen Escamilla, San Juan Capistrano This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
House fires are on the rise in St. Johns County
St. Johns County Fire Rescue said they've seen a 6.5% increase in structure fires in the last year. Lithium-ion batteries are a big reason why firefighters are battling more house fires. 'We've seen a definite influx in golf cart fires and e-bike fires,' said Chris Naff, the spokesperson for St. Johns County Fire Rescue. 'If they get overcharged, they actually start expanding and heating up, and then that melts the outer shell, and that's when they basically for, lack of a better term, explode.' The county's growing population is also something being attributed to the increase. Read: St. Johns County releases stricter version of proposed e-bike safety law [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Naff said there have been 82 structure fires since the start of this year. And the majority of those have been garage fires. 'In the last month or two, probably 80% of our fires have been started in the garage,' said Naff. The next time you plug in your electric vehicles, firefighters said, first and foremost, follow the manufacturer's recommendations for charging. 'Typically, they are going to say plug them in and charge them to 100% or about 100%,' said Naff. 'And unplug them from both the wall outlet where you have them and the apparatus that they are plugged into.' If you can, Naff suggests charging them outside. 'That way, if it does catch fire, or it does spark, it's away from your house and in your driveway,' said Naff. And if your home does not already have a smoke detector in the garage, firefighters suggest installing one. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
CTV News
5 days ago
- General
- CTV News
EFRS welcomes 59 new firefighters and staff
City hall opened its doors on Friday to celebrate the graduation of the city's newest Edmonton Fire Rescue Services members. Fifty-nine new fire service professionals are joining EFRS: five will serve as emergency communications specialists, five as fire prevention officers and 49 as frontline firefighters. 'Our firefighters, having completed extensive and rigorous training, are now ready to serve Edmonton in fire suppression, protecting life, property and the environment,' said Chief David Lazenby. 'Complementing their efforts, Edmonton's fire prevention officers will play a critical role in public safety education, providing essential inspection services and guidance for safe homes and businesses.' The new Edmonton firefighters will get placed throughout all fire stations. Emergency communication specialists will be assigned to the Emergency Response Communication Centre, while the fire prevention officers will offer inspection services and serve as educators around the city. Firefighter recruitment applications open each year in January.
CBS News
6 days ago
- Climate
- CBS News
Fire risk high in Northern Michigan, residents and visitors urged to take precautions
The risk of fire is very high this weekend in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and Northern Lower Peninsula, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources said Friday, urging those who live in or will visit the area to take precautions against accidental spread of a blaze. The reason is a period of dry weather days in the region. There are already wildfires this season in Canada, some of which have sent smoke drifting into the United States. Air quality advisories are in effect in parts of Michigan, including Metro Detroit, because of the Canadian wildfires. "There hasn't been significant rain in parts of the Upper Peninsula for more than two weeks," said Paul Rogers, fire prevention specialist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. "Burn permits will be limited, and we are asking everyone to be very careful with their campfires this weekend and into Monday." Those who will be in the region affected by the March 28-30 ice storm are especially asked to delay burning or take extra caution because of the amount of dry wood that is still on the ground in forested areas. Campfire tips If you build an outdoor campfire, keep it small and never leave it. When you have finished with your campfire, drench it with water, stir the ashes and drench it again. Make sure metal campfire rings are cool before you leave a site. Additional fire safety tips The Michigan DNR also shared these reminders Whenever you start any type of fire outside, keep a hose or other water source nearby. When burning yard debris, keep piles small. Large piles can stay hot for many hours, increasing the risk of an escaped fire. Prevent sparks. Keep trailer chains from dragging and don't park hot equipment on dry grass. Don't burn plastic, hazardous materials, foam or other household trash. This is illegal and can release dangerous chemicals into the air. Use a burn barrel with a screen on top to burn paper, leaves and natural materials. Get more fire safety information here.
