LOS ANGELES - The U.S. Forest Service has launched an inspector general’s investigation and invited Congress to order a broad inquiry into last summer’s disastrous Station fire, after the recent discovery that dispatch recordings from the critical early hours of the blaze were withheld from The Times and a federal review team. The inspector general’s probe will focus on why several ...

HUDSON, Fla. -- A Florida church dedicated to feeding the homeless has been destroyed in a fire. Fire rescue crews were called to the Lakeview Baptist Church in Hudson, about 45 miles north of Tampa, on Tuesday. Flames were shooting from the roof and the nearest hydrant was six blocks away. Forty firefighters battled the flames, which took about an hour ...

NEW YORK - Police across the city have been warned that "detergent suicides" - which use household cleaners to create poisonous gas - can also kill cops and other first responders, the Daily News has learned. A recent internal order says people who kill themselves in this way often post warning signs, such as "Hydrogen Sulfide Suicide," so relatives and cops ...

HAMILTON — Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones opened a wing of the recently closed Resolutions Jail facility to house 19 residents of a Hamilton group home displaced by a fire Monday morning, Aug. 2. An exterior light may have caused the fire in which a firefighter was injured. Smoke and flames could be seen coming out the top of the ...

SHERMAN COUNTY, OR - A Sherman County firefighter was badly burned as he tried to fix an antique fire engine earlier this week, the South Sherman Fire District reported. Josh Higgins was helping fellow firefighters move the engine from a fire substation in Kent to the main station in Grass Valley, where it was to be restored, said Assistant Chief Glenn ...

LOS ANGELES – An apparent natural gas explosion at a welding shop Friday collapsed part of the building and hurled two workers into the street, killing one and leaving the other in critical condition, fire officials said. The two-story wooden building in south Los Angeles was shaken by the violent explosion at about 6:15 a.m. that turned the front of the ...

NEW YORK — An FDNY lieutenant and two EMTs delivered a baby on July 23 in an unlikely spot, the 4/5 subway train platform at Bowling Green in Manhattan. "It was a great experience it was amazing to see another human life to come into the world," said EMT Tom Loggin from Station 4. He and his partner, EMT Jerry Chatelain, ...

WASHINGTON - Metro is back to normal service Friday after a downed power line stranded more than 40 passengers Thursday afternoon. The 41 passengers got stuck when a storm brought a power line down on the tracks west of Washington. They were able to get off the train about three hours later. [widget:news__wtop] Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Capt. Oscar Garcia ...

PITTSFIELD TOWNSHIP, MI - We all love fresh honey, but no one wants to be stung. A Pittsfield Township beekeeper is now recovering after bees attacked her in defense of their queen. "Person in distress. They told us had something to do with bees," said Pittsfield Township Fire Captain Jeff Foulke. A day later at the Pittsfield Township home and you'd ...

SAN RAMON — Thanks to the bravery of eight San Ramon Valley firefighters, Dr. Robert Litman is alive and seeing patients again. The immunology and allergy specialist thanked the crew Wednesday night for rescuing him from his blazing Blackhawk home the night of June 22 — the same blaze that killed Litman's 19-year-old son. "Instead of being a second victim, I ...

KANSAS CITY - Fred Arbanas wants to make one thing perfectly clear — he never accepted a campaign donation from Local 42 of the International Association of Fire Fighters. A July report filed by Taxpayer’s Unlimited, the firefighter’s political committee, listed a $2,500 contribution to Arbanas. Arbansas, of course, is in the race of his political life versus Terry Riley, a ...

SAN JOSE, CA - More than 50 San Jose firefighters were set to lose their jobs in a matter of hours Thursday night as the city struggled to close an $118 million budget gap. Firefighters were also upset because the city may drastically change the way labor contract disputes are resolved. Mayor Chuck Reed had a polite but tense meeting with ...

ATLANTA — More bystanders are willing to attempt CPR if an emergency dispatcher gives them firm and direct instructions — especially if they can just press on the chest and skip the mouth-to-mouth, according to new research. The two new studies conclude that "hands-only" chest compression is enough to save a life. They are the largest and most rigorous yet to ...

NEW YORK - Three firefighters and a cop plunged into the roiling East River yesterday to rescue a suicidal man who jumped from an East Harlem pier as well as two men who tried desperately to save him, authorities said. The drama on Pier 107 began at about 12:15 p.m. when Richard Karin, 60, who had been drinking, leaped in, sources ...

TEMPE, AZ - The flash and explosion that smashed windows, hurled doors and threw people several feet in Tempe on Saturday was one of the worst nightmares firefighters face. In days gone by, the back-draft-driven blaze that caused a flash and explosion in a 1940s house on South Mill Avenue could have spelled disaster. But with today's equipment and training programs, ...

IRVINGTON — Seven firefighters injured while fighting a three-alarm blaze on Irvington’s Grove Street Tuesday evening all returned to duty, fire officials said. Although four firefighters were taken to area hospitals suffering from bruises, sprains and burns, all were released shortly afterward, Irvington Deputy Chief Pat Hand said. “They’re all going to be OK,” he said. The fire’s cause is still ...

BRIDGEPORT -- Police and fire officials on Wednesday were finalizing plans meant to avoid gridlock on city streets and Interstate 95 Friday with thousands of people expected to descend upon the city for the funerals of two fallen firefighters, as well as the annual Gathering of the Vibes. As many as 10,000 firefighters from across the nation and Canada are expected ...

NEWARK — A Newark firefighter suffered serious injuries after he fell from a city fire truck while responding to an incident Monday night, authorities said. The firefighter was sitting in the "bucket seat" and tumbled into the street when the vehicle made a left turn onto Osborne Terrace just before 10 p.m. Monday, according to Newark Fire Chief Michael Lalor. The ...

BOCA RATON, FL — They brought out pulleys, hoists, straps and boards. The group of Boca Raton firefighters pretended to rescue injured workers stuck in underground pipes. "You're going to take the guy and strap him on here," said private instructor Kevin Mullen as he demonstrated on a plastic board. Tuesday was the second day of training for 17 Boca Raton ...

AUGUSTA, Maine — A 49-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to two counts of arson for allegedly setting fire to a topless coffee shop in central Maine. Raymond Bellavance Jr., of Augusta, entered his pleas Tuesday in Kennebec County Superior Court. Bellavance is accused of setting fire to the Grand View Topless Coffee Shop in Vassalboro in the early morning hours ...