National Fire News:
http://www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/nfn.html
NPS Fire and Aviation Management:
http://www.nps.gov/fire/index.cfm
NPS Fire News: http://www.nps.gov/fire/public/pub_firenews.cfm
The Web's Community & Resource for Fire, Rescue, EMS & Safety |
National Fire References/Reports
|
||
Fire-related articles, procedures, and other documents:
01 Jan 2008 -- A PROVISIONAL REPORT ON-DUTY FIREFIGHTER FATALITIES IN THE UNITED STATES, Date Range 1/1/2007 to 12/31/2007, can be found at: http://www.emergency.com/pdf/07-firefighter-fatality-summary.pdf
Finally,
as we have
pointed out in other recent articles...fire-based EMS division's and
paramedic/EMT personnel are too often paid less than their firefighter
counterparts. ERRI was an early and vocal advocate of fire-based EMS systems,
but we find that we will not be able to sustain our support for this model
unless funding for equipment, training, security, pay, promotion, and benefits
for EMS personnel is immediately improved. This is a issue that is not going to
go away...and it must be addressed A.S.A.P. by the real fire service leaders of
this country.]
Emergency Response Resource Locator:
The U.S. National Response Plan
is now available from DHS. The documents are as follows:
National Response Plan and Annexes
December 2004
(PDF, 114 pages, 2MB)
http://www.dhs.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/NRPbaseplan.pdf
National Response Plan
December 2004
Full Version (PDF, 426 pages, 4MB)
includes all annexes, "Emergency Support Function Annexes", "Support
Annexes", and "Incident Annexes."
http://www.dhs.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/NRP_FullText.pdf
The Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG2004)
was developed jointly by the US Department of Transportation, Transport Canada,
and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation of Mexico (SCT) for use
by firefighters, police, and other emergency services personnel who may be the
first to arrive at the scene of a transportation incident involving a hazardous
material. It is primarily a guide to aid first responders in:
(1) quickly identifying the specific or generic classification of the material(s)
involved in the incident, and
(2) protecting themselves and the general public during this initial response
phase of the incident. The ERG is updated every three to four years to
accommodate new products and technology. The next version is scheduled for 2008.
Summary of data:
http://hazmat.dot.gov/gydebook.htm
Full (Searchable) Version of the ERG2004 (2.8M) in .pdf format:
http://hazmat.dot.gov/erg2004/erg2004.pdf
Updated: August 10th, 2004 12:07:48 PM
DHS Bulletin: Potential Terrorist Use of Official Identification, Uniforms,
or Vehicles
Department Of Homeland Security
Information Bulletin
OVERVIEW: Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Information Bulletins are informational in nature and are designed to provide updates on the training, tactics, or strategies of terrorists. The following information is meant to advise the owners and operators of the nation's infrastructures about the possible use by terrorists of official identification, uniforms, or vehicles to gain access to sensitive facilities for purposes of planning or carrying out attacks. (In this Information Bulletin, 'official' refers to recognized implements of federal, state, and local governments and private sector entities.) While DHS possesses no information indicating an organized effort by extremist elements in the United States to illegally obtain official identification, uniforms, or vehicles in furtherance of terrorist activities, it has identified the recent theft or disappearance of large numbers of these items. Attempts to acquire official identification, uniforms, or vehicles would be consistent with the tactics and techniques of Al-Qaeda and other extremist groups, according to a variety of reporting sources.
DETAILS: Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups likely view the theft or other illegal acquisition of official identification, uniforms, or vehicles as an effective way to increase access and decrease scrutiny in furtherance of planning and operations. Although we possess no information that Al-Qaeda or other terrorist groups are systematically pursuing the illegal acquisition of the above referenced items, there is indeed precedence for the use of official identification, uniforms, or vehicles in the execution of terrorist attacks. Terrorist groups have utilized police or military uniforms to mask their identities and achieve closer access to their targets without arousing suspicion. This was illustrated in the December 2002, suicide bombings that targeted the Chechen Government Headquarters in Groznyy, Russia. Terrorists in South America, the Philippines and Pakistan have commandeered or stolen emergency medical services vehicles and uniforms (or cleverly designed imitations) to facilitate the execution of their attacks on key facilities.
In an effort to understand the extent of official identification, uniform, and vehicle thefts, DHS recently conducted a survey of selected members of the law enforcement community in five states. This survey revealed that from February to May 2003 hundreds of official identification cards, badges, decals, uniforms, and government license plates were reported stolen or lost. Additionally, a number of private companies have reported receiving suspicious inquiries about renting official delivery vehicles and emergency services representatives have received unusual requests for detailed vehicle descriptions. There is no historical baseline to compare recent theft or suspicious inquiry data, and the intent or resolution of many of the thefts cannot be determined.
The worldwide proliferation of individuals or 'companies' that traffic in high-quality imitations of official identification, uniforms, or vehicles is a related issue that increases the possibility such items could be used to facilitate future terrorist attacks and further complicates efforts to prevent their acquisition. For example, earlier this month the New York City High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force reported that it had identified a Japanese website selling near exact replicas of badges from law enforcement agencies such as the U.S. Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Agency, U.S. Marshals Service, and Los Angeles Police Department.
Several press reports this year have referred to the theft and sale over the Internet of a large number of United Parcel Service (UPS) uniforms. Although these reports proved to be false, they did bring to the public's attention the potential security concerns of missing or stolen identification, uniforms, or vehicles.
DHS reminds all recipients to remain vigilant to the disappearance of, or unauthorized inquiries regarding, official identification cards, badges, decals, uniforms, government license plates, and vehicles and establish practices that account for missing items. DHS encourages recipients to report suspicious incidents to the proper authorities and to remain vigilant for any nexus to terrorism
PROTECTIVE MEASURES: Recognizing that possession of some combination of official identification cards, badges, decals, uniforms, government license plates, and vehicles tends to reduce suspicion and might allow an individual or vehicle greater access to sensitive facilities, the following protective measures are suggested:
-- Keep comprehensive records of all official identification cards, badges, decals, uniforms, and license plates distributed, documenting any anomalies and canceling access to items that are lost or stolen.
-- Practice accountability of all vehicles to include tracking vehicles that are in service, in repair status, or sent to salvage.1
-- Safeguard uniforms, patches, badges, ID cards, and other forms of official identification to protect against unauthorized access to facilities, to include stripping all decommissioned vehicles slated for resale and/or salvage of all agency identifying markings and emergency warning devices.2
-- Check multiple forms of valid identification for each facility visitor.
-- Verify the legitimate business needs of all approaching vehicles and personnel.
-- Improve identification card technology to eliminate reuse or unauthorized duplication. Alert uniform store vendors of the need to establish and verify the identities of individuals seeking to purchase uniform articles.3
-- Ensure all personnel are provided a security briefing regarding present and emerging threats.
* ERRI reference: http://www.emergency.com/safe-sec.htm
DHS encourages recipients of this Information Bulletin to report information concerning suspicious or criminal activity to law enforcement or a DHS watch office. The DHS Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection watch offices may be contacted at:
For private citizens and companies Phone: (202) 323-3205, 1-888-585-9078
Email: nipc.watch@fbi.gov
Online:
http://www.nipc.gov/incident/cirr.htm
For Telecom industry - Phone: (703) 607-4950
Email: ncs@dhs.gov For Federal agencies/departments - Phone: (888) 282-0870
Email: fedcirc@fedcirc.gov
Online:
https://incidentreport.fedcirc.gov
DHS intends to update this Information Bulletin should it receive additional
relevant information, including information provided to it by the user
community. Based on this notification, no change to the Homeland Security
Advisory System level (HSAS) is anticipated; the current HSAS level is YELLOW.
23 Feb 2003
EmergencyNet Resource Locator
The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) developed this course
for the Department of Energy (DOE) under the direction of Fluor Daniel Fernald,
DOE’s environmental remediation contractor for the Fernald Environmental
Management Project. The goal of this contract was to provide needed information
and a method to train fire departments and other emergency responders who may be
called upon to respond to accidents involving radioactive materials along DOE
transportation corridors and routes.
Click here for FREE course
materials and lesson plans, quizes, etc. -- From DOE
14 Feb 2003
Firefighting Masks Actually Effective For WMD Incidents??
According to CBSNews, firefighters facing new and urgent warnings of a possible terror attack are well versed in the life and death skill of applying their self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), which guidelines say they must accomplish in less than one minute.
Which is why, as CBS News Correspondent Wyatt Andrews reports, it has stunned some rescue teams to learn that very few of the protective masks used today can seal out deadly poison gas. In a government test developed after Sept. 11, either mustard or sarin gas penetrated every major mask, except one used in only a handful of cities.
In the age of "orange" terrorism alerts, the failure of the masks is
shocking news. "This is going to cost lives. This is going to delay rescues,
absolutely," said Ed Plaugher, chief of the Arlington Virginia Fire
Department. When he received the report, the chief of the Arlington
Virginia Fire Department, Plaugher, says he was, "devastated - literally
devastated."
Click here for the whole story from CBSNews...
19 Jan 2003
AUSTRALIA
Firestorm Kills Four and Destroys At Least 388 Homes in Australia
By Jeremy Zakis, ERRI Analyst in Australia
CANBERRA: Four people have been killed and 388 homes completely
destroyed as firestorms continue to whip across the Australian Capital
Territory (ACT) on Sunday. The ACT Emergency Services Bureau (ESB) reports
that more than 2,000 people have been evacuated from their homes and
authorities are urgently calling for ration donations to help the hundreds
of displaced families.
The largest fire fronts in the Mitchell and Holt area of the city of
Canberra were being fanned along by high winds. Sunday has been the worst
day with 190 houses destroyed and 2,300 residents forced to seek shelter at
care centers around the capital.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard was planning to interrupt his summer
holidays to visit the ACT fire control centre during and residents who spent
the night at one of the many evacuation centers.
People living in Canberra are being asked not to use cellular phones, except
in the case of emergency, as communication networks strain under the flurry
of calls by emergency workers and concerned family members. Up to 25 percent
of the state remains without electricity after fire destroyed powerlines and
Canberra Airport was without some staff early today after they were notified
of fires encroaching on their homes.
By Sunday evening, firefighters were planning new defenses against the
fires, which were expected to grow. Temperatures on Monday were forecast to
hit (37C) 100 degrees (F). In Canberra, there are fears nine separate fires could
merge to form a giant unstoppable wall of flame.
29 Dec 2002
California Hotel Fire Leaves Four Dead And 18 Injured
SAN BERNARDINO, CA: Four people were killed and 18 others were
injured as fire spread through the top floor of a small residential hotel
early morning Saturday. Firefighters managed to pull dozens out of the blaze
to safety. When firefighters reached the Sunset Hotel just before 01:00PST,
several people were hanging from the upper floor windows. Firefighters used
ladders to reach more than 30 people, including a 2-month-old infant, but
others were trapped inside, and much of the third floor was fully involved
in flames.
13 Oct 2002
Firefighter Memorial Service
NEW YORK CITY: Thousands of firefighters from around the world
packed Madison Square Garden and the surrounding streets Saturday for a
memorial ceremony to honor 356 city firefighters killed in the line of duty
-- 343 of them at the World Trade Center. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg
said: "They went beyond professionalism, and carried with them the
strength and courage that remind the nation of the gallant heroes of our
past. Even though they are no longer among us, they continue to lead."
09 Oct 2002
AUSTRALIA: Wildfires Burn Across Sydney for Second Year in a Row
By Jeremy Zakis, ERRI Analyst in Australia
Major wildfires are burning across Sydney again, for the second time in
twelve months. More than 350 firefighters continue to battle wildfires
burning out of control in two areas close to Sydney on Wednesday.
According to the New South Wales Rural Fire Service, 74 wildfires were
burning south-west of Sydney in the Engadine area and west of Sydney in
the Blue Mountains National Park.
On Tuesday, at least ten homes were destroyed in Engadine when a fireball
fanned by 65km/h (40mph) winds, raced up the side of a hill. No injuries
were reported, but authorities continued to evacuate surrounding suburbs
as the winds grew stronger.
Overnight firefighters brought several fires under control, but many were
still not completely extinguished. At least 20 major fires remain out of
control, but most do not appear to be an immediate threat to housing. The
New South Wales police believe that about half of the current wildfires
were deliberately lit, possibly by bored teenagers on their school
vacation. Arson detectives are investigating at many fire grounds, but
have made no arrests.
Last year, 109 homes were destroyed and over 500,000 hectares (1.2 million
acres) of forest and farmland were blackened when 100 wildfires burned
across the state for 16 days, starting on Christmas Eve. Nobody was killed
but numerous injuries, mostly firefighters, were
reported. At least 15,000 firefighters fought those blazes.
22:00 - 15 Sep 2002
Five Firefighters Killed in Paris Blaze and Explosions
Paris,
France (EmergencyNet News) -- In what is being called the greatest loss of life in Paris Fire
Brigade history, five firefighters were killed by explosions as
they tried to extinguish a blaze in residential building outside Paris. Two
explosions, preliminarily believed to be caused by natural gas, reportedly caused the deaths.
Firefighters were working to rescue building residents when the tragic
incidents occurred. The deadly fire took place in the Neuilly-sur-Seine area,
just north of Paris. All five firefighters were transported to a nearby
hospital, where they succumbed to their injuries this evening.
The staff at ERRI and EmergencyNet News would like to send our prayers and
condolences to the families, friends, and coworkers of these brave heroes, who
lost their lives while trying to save others. More information about the
Paris Fire Brigade can be found at:
http://www.bspp.fr/accueil.htm
(In French)
14 Sep 2002
Emergency Responder Awareness Advisory From FEMA/USFA
More Suspicious Activities at Fire Houses...
More suspicious activities at fire and emergency medical service departments have occurred. During the month of August, three engine companies of the St. Louis Fire Department reported incidents involving male subjects of "middle eastern" appearance who fled the scene when approached or questioned.
At one Engine Company the suspect was observed video taping the fire house. At another company the subject escaped after video taping the facility and the apparatus inside. At a third location the suspect entered the fire house and made inquiries regarding the size, floor space, and load capacity of the ambulance housed therein.
These recent events reinforce the necessity for all emergency response departments to remain vigilant for data collection by potential adversaries. They are reminders that all department personnel must fight complacency and remain ready to quickly stop unauthorized information gathering by the questions and filming of alleged visitors. Also, first responders should avoid sharing information with unknown individuals who communicate by telephone or electronic mail. Intelligence experts confirm that terrorists study the information they obtain to identify existing vulnerabilities and to plan their attacks accordingly.
Failure to prevent unsanctioned collection of details about the fire and emergency medical services may jeopardize the critical infrastructures upon which the protection of life and property depends. It is as important to avert as the theft of uniforms and vehicles used by emergency responders.
When a suspicious incident occurs such as the ones mentioned above, in
addition to notifying the local authorities, the National Infrastructure
Protection Center (NIPC) requests contact using the NIPC information seen at
the bottom of this INFOGRAM. Notification of the NIPC will enable their
specialists to attempt identification of the patterns, methods, and sources
of past and future malicious actions directed against the critical
infrastructures of emergency first responders.
-- Go
to the USFA CIP Report
23 Aug 2002
Firefighters Under Attack in N. Ireland
Belfast, N. Ireland (EmergencyNet News) -- Even hardened firefighters, accustomed to life and death struggles on a daily basis, said that they were "shocked" that they came under gunfire and bomb attack on Thursday in the Glenbryn area of Ardoyne, in North Belfast. According to a report by the BBC, Fire Brigades Union spokesman Jim Barbour said of the incident, "We were sent to respond to a fire call - it was a house fire in Glenbryn Park. Obviously it was a very serious incident in itself...we believe it is absolutely shocking and outrageous that our firefighters, when they arrived at the scene, were caught up in gunfire and blast bomb attacks across the community." Army bomb experts were called to the area to deal with several unexploded improvised explosive devices.
ERRI senior national security analyst and retired
chief officer, Clark Staten, said that the incident in Belfast was
indicative of the potential future of providing emergency services in
several parts of the world. "One would think that those who are working to
save everyone's lives would not be targeted by rioters and terrorists,"
Staten said, "But, increasingly that just is not the case...and
firefighters and paramedics are being faced with the same dangers that
face police and military personnel...it is a new tactical reality and
requires a new and different kind of understanding, equipment, and
training," Staten added.
10 Aug 2002
Oregon Wildfire Grows To 308,000 Acres; Wildfires Continue in
California
GRANTS PASS, OR: The blaze in the Siskiyou National Forest and adjoining lands in southwestern Oregon and Northern California is now close to surpassing a 1933 wildfire in northwest Oregon that holds the record as being the biggest fire in Oregon history. The nation's largest active wildfire has grown now to 308,000 acres. The National Fire Information Center reports five million acres have burned in the United States this year, including more than 715,000 acres in Oregon.
The wildfire had at one point threatened about 17,000 people in several small towns in the Illinois Valley. The threat has eased, but the fire still threatened the community of Agness in the Rogue River Canyon and an area near the small coastal town of Brookings. Sheriff's deputies on Friday were asking some Brookings-area residents to prepare to leave their homes immediately, if notified. The fire was about 15 percent contained.
Elsewhere, firefighters east of San Diego hoped to have a 61,550- acre wildfire burning across dry mountains fully contained by Sunday. More than 3,200 people were fighting the Pines fire, which was 60 percent contained on Friday. As firefighters began to get the upper hand, a voluntary evacuation was lifted for nearby communities that are home to about 1,200 people. The fire has destroyed at least 35 homes, 106 barns and other outbuildings and 147 vehicles.
Meanwhile, a second wildfire broke out in rural eastern San Diego
County on Friday and quickly scorched 350 acres, threatening about 60
homes. Also on Friday, a 500-acre blaze in California's Napa County was 50
percent contained and was expected to be fully contained by Saturday
afternoon.
24 June 2002
Seven Killed In Brooklyn Apartment Blaze
NEW YORK CITY: Authorities said a couple and their five daughters
were killed in an apartment fire in Brooklyn. Officials say that the lives
might had been saved with someone had called 911 earlier. The blaze started
just after 1430 EDT Sunday in a three-story building. It broke out in a
second-floor apartment kitchen as a woman tried to heat a pan of oil. The
woman tried to put the fire out but couldn't. She fled her apartment,
leaving a door open, and the flames spread to the rest of the second and the
third floors. The children who died ranged in age from 9 months to 13 years.
A dozen firefighters, three police officers, one emergency services worker
and a fire patrol officer sustained minor injuries. More than 150
firefighters took on the blaze, which caused the roof to collapse...
21:00CDT/19:00PDT - 23 June 2002
Fears That Two Major Fires Have Merged Into
Super-Wildfire
SHOW LOW, AZ. (EmergencyNet News) -- As had previously been feared, officially unconfirmed reports coming into EmergencyNet News suggest that two massive wildfires, the Rodeo and Chediski blazes, have merged on Sunday, causing a 50-mile-long conflagration, with flames shooting 250 feet into the air in some places. The blazes already had destroyed at least 180 structures in the Arizona highlands. As many as 25,000 people had fled or been evacuated from more than half a dozen towns, including Show Low.
To make matters worse, the weather has not been cooperating either,
with temperatures today into the 90s, with single-digit humidity and
shifting winds. One fire officer told EmergencyNet News this evening that
"things are probably going to get a whole lot worse before they can get
better." EmergencyNet News
is monitoring events in Arizona closely and will bring you additional details if/when they become available....
Additional official reference:
National
Interagency Fire Center
Arizona Wildfires Force Thousands To Evacuate
SHOW LOW, ARIZONA: As a huge fire breached a hastily constructed fire line, authorities ordered the 7,700 residents of the eastern Arizona mountain community of Show Low to evacuate on Saturday night. The 3,500 residents of neighboring Pinetop-Lakeside were also ordered to evacuate. The mandatory evacuation orders came as the fire, which had burned more than 150,000 acres of forest since Tuesday, passed a fire line about eight miles west of Show Low that crews had been building but fled earlier in the day as the blaze approached. There was no immediate threat to homes as the fire was moving slowly.
Firefighters had been bracing for the almost inevitable merger of two
wildfires raging in central Arizona. Incident commander Larry Humphrey at
his headquarters in Show Low said: "If it started raining tomorrow, we'd be
out of here in a few days. That's not going to happen. There is no rain in
the forecast for at least two weeks..."
17 June 2002
Wildfire Blamed On Forest Ranger
FLORISSANT, CO: Federal prosecutors said forestry technician Terry Barton, 38, started a wildfire on 8 June within a designated campfire ring. If convicted she could be sentenced to ten years in prison and ordered to pay $250,000 in fines. She is the forest ranger credited with alerting authorities about a fire that has blackened nearly 103,000 acres and destroyed 22 homes. She was charged with starting the blaze by allegedly "burning a letter from her estranged husband."
At the time the fire broke out, Barton was assigned to patrol the Pike
National Forest in central Colorado to enforce a fire ban imposed because of
a drought. Barton said she started burning the letter within a designated
campfire ring, where fires normally would be allowed, then tried to put out
the blaze. Driven by roaring winds, the fire spread to within ten miles of
Denver's far southwestern suburbs last week and forced the evacuation of
thousands...
16 June 2002
Beijing Blaze Kills 24 And Injures 13
CHINA: In what state media said was Beijing's deadliest blaze in at least half a century, 24 people were killed when fire tore through an unlicensed Internet cafe crowded with students early Sunday. The fire broke out at about 02:45 hours local time at the Lanjisu Cyber Cafe. The official Xinhua news agency reported 20 of the victims died on the scene and four others in the hospital. Thirteen people who were injured in the blaze were being treated in hospitals, most of them students.
Firefighters who rushed to the scene managed to rescue 17 people. But
iron bars on the window meant there was no hope of escape from the choking,
toxic smoke for the other, mainly student, visitors to the cafe.
Firefighters managed to put the fire out within an hour. On Sunday morning,
police began inspecting the soot-stained shell of the two-story concrete
building which housed the cafe. The cause of the fire is not yet known...
13 June 2002
Wildfire Continues to Burn Outside Denver
DENVER: The largest wildfire in Colorado history is inching closer to the
Denver metro area, sending 100-foot flames into the air as officials ordered
more precautionary evacuations southwest of the city. The Hayman Fire, the
highest firefighting priority in the nation, burned through nearly 9,000
acres of timber Tuesday. At 18:00 MDT Tuesday, the U.S. Forest Service
estimated its size at 85,925 acres and there were no signs it would be
halted soon. Firefighters said the blaze burned back on itself Tuesday
because of erratic winds and they lost the five percent containment they had
achieved since the fire began Saturday. Authorities in Douglas and Teller
counties south of Denver urged residents of several sub-divisions to
evacuate as a safety precaution...
12 June 2002
Radiological Survey Equipment Needed By Emergency Forces?
By Steve Macko, EmergencyNet News Managing Editor
CHICAGO, IL: ERRI's senior national security analyst and
retired emergency service chief, Clark Staten said that given recent warnings about attempts by
terrorist forces to attack American targets with a Radiation Dispersal
Device (RDD), it would be prudent for U.S. Fire. Police, and EMS units to
obtain and use radiological survey equipment during any response to a known
or suspected explosion. "Our recommendations would include, at this time,
that someone (as determined by the jurisdiction having authority) among initial response forces
to an explosion, be trained and equipped with
appropriate radiological survey equipment to include a geiger-counter type
device and dosimeters," Staten said. "This equipment could then be used to
conduct a preliminary assessment of the scene and determine what appropriate
protective clothing and equipment might be needed, or if other special units are required," the
veteran analyst added. "As times and tactical situations change, so
must the capabilities of our emergency service agencies...we think it only
prudent to make such a suggestion at this time," Staten concluded.
Additional reference:
1981
-"Handling of Radiation Accident Victims; A Prehospital Care Point of
View," by Staten, C. L. , Fire Command Magazine, January 1981, Pg. 14-15,
19
(Note: requires Adobe .pdf reader/plug-in)
11 June 2002
Evacuations As Colorado Wildfire Spreads
DENVER: Officials said up to 40,000 people were poised to evacuate their homes on the edge of the city of Denver as a wildfire that has burned more than 75,900 acres threatened the area. Some 6,000 homes to the southwest of Denver had already been evacuated late Monday as the blaze spread dramatically through the day, fanned by strong winds, with smoke causing darkness to descend early on the city of Denver. Winds of 25-30 miles per hour were continuing to push the gigantic blaze -- which was less than 60 miles from Denver late Monday.
Some 1,520 firefighters were on the scene, after pouring in from all over
Colorado and from neighboring states, fighting the blaze, one of seven that
are ravaging the western US state. Tanker planes and helicopters were
bombing the blaze with fire retardants and water in a bid to save property
and lives. A fire official said: "The main priority now is public safety,
and then...of course...suppression of the fire."
09 June 2002
Colorado Blaze Forces Evacuation
DENVER: Officials said that authorities ordered the evacuation of 300 homes as a fast-moving wildfire in western Colorado licked at the edges of a small town on Saturday, burning homes. The blaze had moved to the edges of Glenwood Springs, a town of 7,700 about 125 miles west of Denver. Authorities had evacuated the entire west side of town. Five homes and one commercial building were destroyed, and at least 500 homes and 100 commercial structures were threatened.
The Red Cross said 300 homes were ordered evacuated, and about 600 people
took refuge at an emergency shelter. Strong, hot winds quickly fanned the
blaze across at least 2,000 acres. Some flames were 100 to 200 feet high.
The fire was reported at 13:00MDT. It apparently was ignited by underground
coal that had been burning for years. The fire was in the same area as a
1994 fire on Storm King Mountain that killed 14 firefighters, one of the
nation's deadliest. For
more information about the national fire situation, visit the National
Interagency Fire Center
12:00CDT - 17 May 2002
KASHMIR: Fire Dept. HQ Under Attack? -- Firefighters Find Profession Becoming Increasingly Dangerous Due to Terrorism
SRINAGAR, INDIA (EmergencyNet News) -- According to emergency service sources, a explosive device in a motor scooter detonated near a busy shopping area and outside the fire department headquarters in Kashmir today. Two people were killed and at least seventeen people were wounded in the blast. Increasingly, Fire and EMS personnel are coming under attack in the latest violence between India and militants of various kinds. The blast remains under investigation.
Today's report follows several incidents on 10 May 2002, in the troubled Indian state of Gujarat, where at least eight firefighters from the Ahmadabad Fire Brigade were pulled from their ambulance by screaming mobs while responding to emergencies, and badly beaten. At least two ambulances were overturned and set on fire during these incidents. The Ahmadabad Fire Brigade, which only has 300 firefighters to serve 4 million residents, went on a 12 hour strike to protest a lack of protection for fire personnel acting in the line of duty.
ERRI analysts said that these two incidents demonstrate that besides
fighting the "red devil," that Fire and EMS personnel, throughout the
world, need to work closely with law enforcement agencies and become
better prepared for tactical responses involving unconventional
events...
SANTA CLARITA, CA: Fire officials said a fast-moving wildfire that has charred 3,200 acres forced the evacuation of more than 100 residents and threatened dozens of homes Saturday on federal forest land. About 1,000 firefighters were dispatched to the blaze as flames quickly spread through dry, hilly terrain north of Santa Clarita. There were no reports of injuries. Two small buildings, an outhouse and a shed, were destroyed. Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies helped evacuate 150 residents from the 110 cabins that dot the canyon area.
Los Angeles County Fire Captain Brian Jordan said at sundown on Saturday, that the fire was only 10 percent contained. Temperatures in the Santa Clarita Valley are expected to be in the 90s on Sunday and winds of up to 30 mph were expected, according to the National Weather Service. Conditions were unusually dry, with the area 11 inches under normal rainfall levels. Given these conditions, the fire may again grow in size.
A dozen planes and helicopters were battling the blaze around 50 miles
north of Los Angeles. Winds during the afternoon hours spread the smoky fire
quickly through the dry vegetation. The cause of the fire that broke out
late Saturday morning remained under investigation. A relatively dry winter
in Southern California has had fire officials on alert for an early start to
what could be a long and serious fire season.
NEW YORK CITY: An explosion in a building rocked a Manhattan city block and injured 42 people, at least ten critically, on Thursday. The blast occurred in a 10-story commercial building. Authorities quickly ruled out terrorism and said the late-morning explosion may have been caused by a volatile mix of a sign company's chemicals stored in the basement.
New York Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta said the chemicals were being investigated as a possible factor. The blast happened on West 19th Street. Within minutes after the explosion, police and more than 100 firefighters poured into the neighborhood.
The victims were taken to area hospitals with burns, severe head injuries, broken bones and cuts. A firefighter also was hospitalized in stable condition with back injuries. The facade of the building was damaged and walls were blown out.
In another New York City blast, this one in Brooklyn, two construction workers and a third man were injured when a natural gas explosion tore through a house and set it on fire. The 1530 PDT blast was caused by workers using a welding torch in the basement of a two-story frame house on Hemlock Street that was under renovation. The workers thought the gas was shut off, but the gas was still on.
A Fire Department spokesman said: "They created a source of ignition
and there was an explosion and heavy damage to the building. This is an
accidental situation." The two workers suffered first- and second- degree
burns and were taken to Weill Hospital Cornell Medical Center, where they
were listed in stable condition last night. The third man sustained minor
burns and was taken to Jamaica Hospital, where he was listed in stable
condition.
Two Children Killed In Chicago Fire
CHICAGO: An early morning blaze gutted a home on Chicago's West Side on Friday, killing two children, but Chicago firefighters searching through blinding smoke saved a girl in what was described as "a heroic effort." The 7-year-old girl suffered burns and was in critical condition at Cook County Hospital. Her 8-year-old brother and 3-year-old sister were killed in the fire.
As flames rolled over the roof of the three-unit dwelling in the 2400 block of West 25th Street, more than 100 firefighters arrived at about 03:00CST to hear residents screaming. The dead and injured children's aunt escaped the blaze through the front door with her three children and six others, including her mother, her sister and a 3-month-old baby.
Working in the bitter cold, and lacking direction of the children's location in the building, Lt. Chris Loper, age 49, a 23-year veteran of the CFD, directed from a ladder as Firefighter Roberto Herrera crawled through windows on the second floor. After a 10- or 15-minute search, Herrera found the three children unconscious in their bed in a back room.
Herrera, whose air tank was nearly empty, handed one child to firefighter Patrick Craven, who carried the girl to an ambulance. Risking burns if he stood up, Herrera dove down the ladder and righted himself after a somer- sault. He then pointed firefighters to the room to recover the two other children, who did not survive.
Six firefighters were treated at local hospitals and released, and one
was treated at the scene for minor injuries, including strained muscles,
exposure to subzero windchills and bruises from falls on ice and from
falling debris. The flames rendered two neighboring buildings
uninhabitable. A fourth building sustained minor damage. Cause of the
blaze has not been determined.
ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO: Police are still looking for a motive in the case of a man who was injured in a house explosion who shot at his rescuers, killing a paramedic and a neighbor and wounding the fire chief and a child before committing suicide on Saturday. The shooter had suffered burns in the house fire and had sought help from a neighbor. Steve Lovato, an emergency medical technician, and other fire officials were treating and questioning the man at around 02:00MST when he began shooting. Lovato and the neighbor were killed.
Firefighters took cover behind the fire truck and the rig reportedly sustained damage from several gunshots. Roswell Fire Chief Louis Jones and a 4-year-old boy who was in the home were wounded. Both were air- lifted to a Lubbock Hospital. Jones was in critical condition after surgery. The condition of the boy was not released by the hospital.
The shooter, a security guard at a bowling alley, killed himself. the
entire matter remains under intensive investigation...
14:30CST - 09 Mar 2002
Scaffolding Collapse During High Winds; 3 Dead, 4 Injured
Chicago, IL (EmergencyNet News) -- According to emergency service
sources three people have been killed and four others injured today at 875
N. Michigan Ave., on Chicago's "Magnificent Mile." At least two Chicago
Fire Dept. (CFD) heavy rescue squads were dispatched to help extricate
people from several cars that were heavily damaged when a large scaffold
came crashing down into an intersection. Multiple people were trapped
during the incident and had to be rescued by CFD fire and EMS personnel.
According to medical personnel at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, two of
the victims were reported to be in serious condition following the
accident. Heavy winds (in excess of 50mph) were clocked at Meigs Field,
near downtown Chicago, and probably were a causative factor in the
incident.
20 Feb 2002
At Least 243 Killed In Egyptian Train Fire
EGYPT: Officials said that at least 243 people -- many of them children -- were killed after the crowded train they were traveling in burst into flames south of Cairo. The death toll, earlier reported at 215, rose as rescuers, aided by villagers, searched the wreckage for bodies. Many of the bodies found had been badly charred, while others died when they jumped from the still-moving train.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known. There is speculation that it was caused either by a short circuit or an explosion of a gas canister used by passengers heating food on the train. It is not unusual in Egypt for passengers to heat their food using gas canisters on trains.
Ten of the 11 cars of the crowded train, which was traveling from Cairo to Luxor in Upper Egypt, went up in flames about 40 miles south of Cairo. It continued traveling, on fire, for about four miles before finally stopping at the town of al-Ayatt. Some people may have been trapped inside the train by iron bars on its windows.
Desperate passengers were reported to have jumped out of windows and doors as the train was moving in order to escape the flames and smoke. Ambulances rushed dozens of injured people to three hospitals in the region -- many were suffering from severe burns, according to emergency personnel. (Editor's note: subsequent reports from the region indicated that the death toll was probably over 300. -- CLS]
16 Feb 2002
GREENSBORO, N.C.: Four people were killed in an early morning fire
that swept through an apartment complex near the University of North
Carolina at Greensboro campus on Friday. Residents of the Campus Walk
Apartments, most of them college students, were awakened at about 02:00EST,
not by fire alarms but by people shouting and banging on doors. At least six
people were injured, including a 20-year-old woman who broke her collarbone
after jumping from a second-floor balcony. Others received minor burns.
Investigators believe the fire may have started outside the building.
Firefighters said flames blew threw a common breezeway in the three-story,
12-unit building, cutting off exits and forcing some residents to jump from
balconies or break out windows.
FIRE GRANT APPLICATION PERIOD TO OPEN MARCH 1, 2002
WASHINGTON: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced that the application period for the 2002 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program will open on March 1, 2002. This year's $360 million program is an improved effort to help the nation's fire service community by providing vital funds to local fire departments across the country.
"Being able to help firefighters is one of the best things about my job,"
FEMA Director Joe Allbaugh said. "These heroes deserve our support and we
have made every effort to simplify the grant process this year to make it as
easy for fire departments as we could." To learn more, visit:
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/grants
10 Feb 2002
19:00CST - 10 Feb 2002
Serious Wildfire Reported in California
Fallbrook, CA (EmergencyNet News) -- A fire broke out in a residential area of Fallbrook, California today. At least five homes have been destroyed and one fire truck. The blaze is only five percent contained at this time and there is little hope for much improvement at least until after nightfall. The mountainous terrain is being blasted by 50-mile-an-hour Santa Ana winds and areas of the fire have created their own microclimates that have reportedly exacerbated the turbulence of the winds.
A large number of mutual aid fire units are currently fighting the
fire including Miramar, North County, and Marines from Camp Pendleton.
Fallbrook is located on the eastern edge of Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base
and just west of Pala Indian Reservation along freeway 15, in San Diego
County. Emergencynet News is monitoring events in S. California and will
provide updates as circumstances warrant...
From: ERRI EMERGENCY SERVICES REPORT-Wednesday, January 16, 2002-Vol. 6 - 016
NATIONAL NEWS:
DC Firefighters Rescue Two College Students
WASHINGTON: Thanks to the efforts on Tuesday of District of Columbia (DC) firefighters, two George Washington University students are alive and well today. The women were rescued from a smoke- and flame-filled apartment. Lt. Robert Purdy fought his way through the smoke and found the two young women crouched on a bedroom window sill in the apartment, face to an open window, gasping for air.
The fire started in the fifth-floor apartment after a cigarette ignited a chair in the living room. The fire blocked the exit to the apartment, forcing the women to retreat to their bedroom window. The students were treated for smoke inhalation at George Washington University Medical Center and released later in the day.
Shortly before 05:00EST, an automatic alarm alerted firefighters to a
blaze in the Statesman apartment building at 2020 F Street NW. About 43
firefighters and five engine companies arrived and began searching the
building for smoke. Outside apartment 521, they found it. Meanwhile, a
friend of the two occupants who had spotted the women at the window alerted
other firefighters out- side. Lt Purdy plunged into the smoke and eventually
found the two women "up on the window sill, trying to get air that was not
smoky."
INTERNATIONAL NEWS:
Firefighting Plane Crashes On Day 15 Of Australian Fire Crisis
By Jeremy Zakis, ERRI Analyst in Australia
AUSTRALIA: Strong winds were believed to have contributed to the cause of a firefighting plane crash off the coast of New South Wales (NSW) on Monday. The single engine aircraft crashed in half a metre of water near the Moruya aerodrome shortly after 2pm local time. NSW Ambulance service officers said the pilot escaped without serious injury and was treated at the scene.
The aircraft had been involved in several fire containment sorties in the Deua National Park near the Moruya River prior to the accident. Heavy rain also fell across the state Monday dousing many of the eighty fires that have been burning for the past fortnight.
Approximately 40mm of rain fell in most regions of NSW helping fire fighters to contain many of the blazes. This included the Blue Mountains fire that was burning on a 30 kilometer (18 mile) front. Unfortunately the rain missed the south coast where fires were still burning.
Late Monday, Rural Fire Service spokesman John Winter said the fires south of Nowra and west of Moruya continued to threaten properties. "The fires in the Shoalhaven last night were reported to have had flame height in excess of 10 meters... our focus begins to move further south today," Mr. Winter said.
Two more Sky Crane helicopters arrived from the United States to assist
the aerial battle against the infernos. Dubbed Georgia Peach and The
Incredible Hulk, the aircraft are capable of dumping 9,000 litres of water
per pass. Quarantine and customs officers checked the helicopters as they
were unloaded from a Russian Antanov cargo plane and they were immediately
being assembled. Both were expected to be in action within 48-hours. The
Australian Bureau of Meteorology forecasted strong winds and higher
temperatures for Tuesday.
03 Jan 2002
INTERNATIONAL NEWS ...
Navy Base Evacuated On Day 11 Of Australian Fire Crisis
By Jeremy Zakis, ERRI Analyst in Australia
The navy base HMAS Creswell, the coastal holiday town of Bendalong, and town of Bendalong were on alert and ready for complete evacuation as wild fires continued to sweep across the eastern state of New South Wales (NSW) on Thursday. At the fire grounds, weather conditions were easing after another day of strong winds and high temperatures, but the threat to property had not eased.
Rural Fire Service Commissioner Phil Koperberg told the media that he was optimistic the fires heading for Woodford and the region of Shoalhaven could be contained overnight.
Early Thursday, evacuations were carried out at the HMAS Creswell navy base and only essential personnel remained. The evacuations did not diminish the integrity of current security condition "Weathercock Amber", which has been in effect since Australia joined the war on terrorism.
Residents in the town of Sussex Inlet were allowed back to their properties earlier in the day after fire destroyed 12 building overnight. The NSW government praised the efforts of fire fighters who evacuated the town before the inferno took hold, which probably saved countless lives.
Late Thursday the towns of Oberon, Broke, Singleton and Crescent Head were under threat of being over-run and evacuation plans have been finalized and crews are on stand-by to execute them.
According to the NSW Rural Fire Service, 100 fires continue to burn out of control, many the results of arsonists that lit the largest blazes in the week before Christmas. After 11 days of fighting, many of the fire crews are being replaced by reinforcements from interstate.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting continual dry
conditions for the rest of the week, which firefighters say are hampering
some efforts to contain the blazes.
Lima Fire Toll Nears 300
PERU: Depending on which media report is used, between 250 and 276 people have been killed in a huge fire in the Peruvian capital of Lima. Rescue personnel continue to pick through the rubble of a shopping center and apartment buildings for more bodies. The removal of the corpses, some burned beyond recognition, has been slow because some were trapped in cars caught in the fire. The blaze broke out on Saturday evening in a shop selling fireworks. The fire quickly spread throughout the area, which was packed with people ahead of the New Year celebrations.
Fears that damaged buildings might collapse have further hampered emergency workers, who are using infra-red cameras to locate bodies. With 20 people still missing, there are fears the death toll will rise yet further.
A wall of fire swept through four shops and rundown apartment buildings, killing victims, including children, in the streets as they ran for safety. The shopping center is in Lima's historic old town. Witnesses said the fire began on Saturday evening when a shopkeeper lit a firework to show an interested customer on a narrow street outside the shopping center. Two adjoining apartment buildings and several cars were engulfed by the flames, which trapped many of the victims on the upper floors and rooftops of buildings.
Several hundred firefighters eventually brought the blaze under control after their efforts were hampered by a shortage of water and crowds of onlookers. Lima fire chief Tulio Nicolini described the fire as the worst he had seen in his 40-year career.
*****
INSTANT 
09:00CST - 30 Dec 2001
Lima Fire Leaves More Than 120 Dead
PERU: More than 100 people may had been killed in a blaze that was sparked by a fireworks explosion in central Lima on Saturday. Fire chief Tulio Nicolini said more than 120 people may have lost their lives in the devastating fire, which was largely contained by midnight on Saturday, almost five hours after it started. Nicolini said: "We should easily exceed 120 people dead," adding that firefighters had not yet entered all of the buildings that had collapsed. Nicolini said it was the worst blaze he had seen in more than 40 years of firefighting...
*****
01:00CST - 30 Dec 2001
At Least 75 Dead in Lima Blast and Blaze
Lima, Peru (EmergencyNet News) -- As many as 75 people have died and more than a hundred others have been injured in a "fireworks explosion" and major fire in an historic downtown shopping district of Lima tonight. According to local fire service sources, an explosion and ensuing fire began at about 20:00 (local time). Numerous people were believed to have been burned in the incident and many are being treated at nearby hospitals. The death toll is likely to rise.
Firefighters battled to get through burglar
bars in order to rescue people trapped in several three and four story
buildings. And, low water pressure also contributed to firefighter
difficulties, rescuers said. The exact cause of the blaze remains
under investigation. It is known that fireworks are popular throughout S.
America during the holidays, and are often sold on the street, or out of
storefronts, during the holiday season.
26 Dec 2001
Inferno In Australia; State of Emergency Declared
By Jeremy Zakis, ERRI Analyst - Reporting From Australia
AUSTRALIA: A state of emergency was declared in the eastern state of New South Wales (NSW) as more than 70 wild fires continue to surround Australia's largest city of Sydney on Wednesday. More than 140 homes were destroyed by the fires that continue to burn out of control.
NSW Rural Fire Services spokesman John Winter said one fire was moving quickly towards the Baulkham Hills Shire in north-west Sydney and residents were being prepared for evacuation. When asked how long the campaign will take to extinguish the fires, Winter said he expected it to be around ten days.
An expected break in one fire front was at the Nepean River in the Blue Mountains, but according to witnesses the fire raced down the river escarpment and immediately began spotting on the opposite side. Fire crews were unable to control the spot fires before they turned into raging infernos.
The worst hit area was Warragamba in Sydney's south-west where a majority of the property had been l ost. Under threat late Wednesday was Baulkham Hills, Shoalhaven and Nowra. Authorities reported that 12,000 properties in the immediate fire zone remain without power. According to Integral Energy, returning power to the region is too dangerous because of fallen power lines.
Firefighters from A and B platoon in NSW have been called to help the several thousand personnel already fighting the fires and 300 country firefighters from the neighboring state of Victoria have been sent to the region. Other fire crews in South Australia and Victoria will remain on stand-by if reinforcements are needed.
Prime Minister John Howard visited the Warragamba area early Wednesday and promised to make Commonwealth resources for disaster relief, available to the NSW government. "Any resources that are needed from the Federal Government... automatically become available," Prime Minister Howard said. The state government has established a bushfire relief appeal worth $1 million.
Throughout Wednesday night back burning operations will occur in Sydney's Royal National Park in an effort to protect the townships of Bundeena and Maianbar.
A statement from the Bureau of Meteorology said the next 48-hours will bring more favorable weather for firefighting, before temperatures reach 40 degrees (100+ Fahrenheit) on Sunday.
NSW police are appealing for residents in the affected areas to remain calm and obey all requests from emergency services personnel. The Rural Fire Service called for the public to remain in their homes until told to evacuate in an effort to avoid panic and congestion on roads already packed with emergency personnel.
An investigation has begun into the cause of the fires, but police
already suspect most were the work of arsonists. Only one fire has been
linked to natural causes -- a lighting strike that occurred last week during
a storm in the Blue Mountains.
26 Dec 2001
Five Alarm Fire In Montreal
CANADA: Montreal firefighters battled a five-alarm blaze at a Canadian federal government building in the downtown area on Friday. The fire broke out on the roof of the seven-story building at about 13:30 EST. Over 1,000 people were evacuated from the building and took 125 fire- fighters several hours to bring the blaze under control. There was considerable damage to the roof but only minimal damage inside the large building at 715 Peel Street, which occupies an entire city block. No one was reported injured.
A fire department spokesman said: "It was a major fire, but if it had
happened in the basement it would not have been major. The main difficulty
was the fact the fire was on the seventh floor." Hoisting firefighting
equipment up to the blaze's level proved to be a major problem. The building
houses the offices of several federal agencies, including the Canadian
Security Intelligence Service.
INSTANT
- 22 August 2001
Hotel Blast Caused by 'Accelerant'...
Los Angeles, CA (EmergencyNet News) -- Sources close to the investigation of the Palomar hotel fire are telling EmergencyNet News there is evidence to suggest that the explosion and fire was caused by the "ignition of an accelerant." The force of the blast reportedly propelled pieces of glass and window frames a large distance from the building, a source close to the investigation told EmergencyNet News. There were no suspects or motives immediately identified by investigators, but they are said to be exploring several leads. EmergencyNet News is monitoring events in Los Angeles and will provide additional details as circumstances warrant...
07:30CDT - 16 August 2001
Fire In Los Angeles; At Least Two Dead
Los Angeles, CA (EmergencyNet News) -- At least two people have died
this morning in an explosion and fire that is being called "suspicious."
At least six (6) others were reported injured, including four
firefighters. The fire broke out at about 03:45PDT in the Palomar Hotel,
located at 5400 Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood. A joint LAPD/LAFD
arson task force is investigating the cause of the fire.
13 August 2001
WESTERN UNITED STATES:
Blazes Burn Across The West
As federal officials stepped up warnings, firefighters on Monday struggled to contain dozens of wildfires in the states of California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. The National Interagency Fire Center went to Level Four status on Monday for the first time this year after 37 new blazes burned across more than 300,000 acres. The preparedness level ranges from one to five.
Four separate blazes burned through the night throughout Northern California, with one as large as 57,000 acres. The enlarging fire threatened 13 ranch homes east of Ravendale, California, near the Nevada border. The fire was said to be 30 percent contained. Firefighters were hampered by rough terrain.
Firefighters are trying to contain a 5,000-acre wildfire that has been steadily marching through the rugged Siskiyou Mountains of southern Oregon. The blaze burned a remote house and cabin Sunday. About ten miles to the west, a new fire broke out on Monday night on a hillside near the small town of Applegate.
Federal firefighting sources tell EmergencyNet News that some Army
National Guard Units may be activated soon to assist in firefighting
efforts. Additional specific reference:
http://www.nifc.gov
12 August 2001
CHICAGO:
One Killed, Many Injured In Apartment
Fire
Fire officials said that children playing with matches
were responsible a blaze that killed a 1-year-old boy and injured 14
others, two critically, at the Harold Ickes Homes public housing
complex on Chicago's South Side on Monday. The toddler was
pronounced dead at 10:20CDT at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center,
a short time after fire-fighters pulled him and three other children from
a fifth-floor apartment where they were trapped. Five victims remained
hospitalized, including a 3-year-old girl and a woman in critical
condition. Most of the other victims were treated for smoke
inhalation.
The toddler was the 15th child killed in a fire in
Chicago this year. The call reporting children trapped in an apartment at
2310 South State Street came in at about 0930 CDT. The first
firefighters on the scene found the door to apartment 507 burned out and
the living room engulfed in flames.
Because of the
thick smoke, firefighters had to feel their way along the walls, crawling
on their hands and knees to search for victims. In all, firefighters
pulled four children and two adults from the fire. In a rear bedroom, Lt.
John McErlean found one child on the bed and one on the floor, both
unconscious. He grabbed one under each arm and ran downstairs.
Two
other children were found farther inside the room. Firefighters pried the
burglar bars from the doorway of the apartment next door to
rescue two unconscious adults. Paramedics started CPR on two of the
children and one of the adults, who were all in cardiac arrest. Three
firefighters were treated at the scene for exhaustion, and two were
treated at area hospitals.
The critically injured woman was taken
to Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center. Two other victims were in
stable condition there. The 3-year-old girl was in critical condition at
the University of Chicago Hospitals. In addition, a 5-year-old boy was in
serious condition at the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical
Center.
FIRE
SERVICE-USA
WASHINGTON STATE/WASHINGTON, DC:
Deaths of Firefighters Called Into Question; Environmental Policies
Prevented Getting Needed Water To Fight Fire??
Winthrop, WA
-- The deaths of four firefighters last month are coming into question
amid allegations that environmental protection laws prevented rapid access
to water to fight the "Thirty Mile Fire," which took the lives of
Firefighters Tom L. Craven, 30, Karen L. Fitzpatrick, 18, Devin A Weaver,
21, and Jessica L. Johnson, 19, who burned to death.
According to
reports issued yesterday by the FOX news service,
a government investigation is now underway in the U.S. House Subcommittee
on Forests & Forest Health to ascertain if "Endangered Species"
policies designed to protect Salmon and Trout in the Chewuch River caused
a fatal two hour delay in allowing helicopters to obtain vital water
needed during firefighting efforts. A 17-member team from the U.S. Forest
Service and other federal agencies is said to be investigating whether the
four firefighters died as a result of the policy, which requirted
permission to scoop water from rivers or streams where "endangered" fish
were believed to be present.
Firefighters, who have become aware of
the allegations concerning the firefighter deaths at the "Thirty Mile
Fire," are said to be "outraged" by the what they say appears to be either
bureaucratic bungling or wrong-headed environmental restrictions gone
amuck. Admittedly, all of the facts concerning the allegations are not
currently available, but those that are available are "troubling,"
firefighters said. EmergencyNet News is watching developments of this
investigation very closely and will provide additional updates as more
information becomes available. People will additional information or
comments concerning this story are encouraged to send e-mail to mailto:webmaster@emergency.com?subject=Protected
Fish & Firefighter Deaths
Source: http://foxnews.com/story/0,2933,31019,00.html
INSTANT -
09:00CDT - 20 July 2001
S. CAROLINA
Fireworks Blast Leaves One Dead
One person was killed and three others were injured in a blaze in a Chester, South Carolina, fireworks plant that was triggered by a huge explosion. The Thursday blast at Melrose South Pyrotechnics threw debris and pyrotechnics 100 yards, igniting a nearby office building on fire and setting off several grass fires. One witness described hearing one small explosion, then one large explosion.
The fire started in a packaging building at Melrose South Pyrotechnics and ignited stored fireworks. The cause of the fire that led to the explosion was not immediately known. A 24-year-old man was killed by the blast. Another employee was hospitalized in good condition and two others received minor injuries.
*****
14:00CDT/15:00EDT - 19 July 2001
Reported Explosion at Fireworks Plant
Chester County, SC (EmergencyNetNews) -- Preliminary reports are
coming into EmergencyNet News concerning a reported explosion at a
fireworks factory in Chester County, S. Carolina. Although few official
details are currently available, numerous fire and EMS units are said to
have been dispatched to the scene of a reported explosion and fire. It is
believed that there are at least two injuries at the scene.
09:00CDT - 11 July 2001
STATE OF WASHINGTON
Four Firefighters Killed While Fighting Wildfire
Four firefighters were killed and another was seriously injured while battling a wildfire in the North Cascades on Tuesday. According to the U.S. Forest Service, the four firefighters had been missing since an explosive burst of flames overran a group of 40 firefighters.
Officials said high temperatures and strong wind gusts stoked the blaze that grew from less than 10 acres early Tuesday to 2,500 acres by late afternoon. Extremely dry weather, low humidity and dry underbrush made conditions in steep, heavily forested terrain of north-central Washington especially dangerous.
Fire crews thought they had the situation in hand until the wind picked up and the fire began spreading fast. Some of the firefighters took shelter in foil-like emergency tents designed to protect them from heat and flames. One 21-year-old fire-fighter was airlifted to a Seattle hospital with severe burns and was reported to be in serious condition. Four others were taken to other hospitals with burns or smoke inhalation.
The wildfire near the town of Twisp was one of at least three burning
on the eastern side of the Cascade Range. Another wildfire burning about 10
miles to the south, near Carlton, grew to 1,200 acres on Tuesday night. A
third blaze burned at least 70 acres near Grand Coulee Dam.
29 June 2001
NATIONWIDE:
Meth Labs, A Clear And Present Danger For First Responders?
By Jerry Smith, Vinelines Managing Editor (jerryfire@earthlink.net)
The danger lurks in hundreds of concealed labs where the drugs are cooked. Meth labs have been uncovered in hotels, motels, self-storage lockers, boats, expensive homes, run down homes, even in the beds of pick-up trucks, etc. Experts will tell you this drug is a powerful stimulant which dramatically affects the central nervous system. Street language defines the drug as speed, crank, crystal and ice.
Unfortunately for the unaware emergency services community and innocent homeowners living in and around the manufacture of this dangerous drug, you need to know what you're up against. You could easily enter atmospheres of toxic chemicals, increasingly explosive surroundings, the chance for a flash fire, or getting hurt by booby traps.
Bill Lockyer, the State Attorney General for California says: "Every day millions of people go to work unaware of a hidden threat to their health and safety, a potentially deadly threat. And the culprit is methamphetamine."
According to California Department of Justice: "Methamphetamine abuse, long reported as the dominant drug problem in the San Diego, CA, area, has become a substantial drug problem in other sections of the West and Southwest, as well. There are indications that it is spreading to other areas of the country, including both rural and urban sections of the South and Midwest. Methamphetamine, traditionally associated with white, male, blue-collar workers, is being used by more diverse population groups that change over time and differ by geographic area."
Of course, California, the populated golden state leads the country as the Methamphetamine producing capital. And for many unsuspecting emergency responders, a grave threat for injury and or death for those who stumble on to some lab, and the real scary part, maybe not understanding the immediate danger once your caught inside a concealed sreet lab. How serious is this threat to your well being? Just touching these chemicals or breathing them can cause sickness, permanent injury and even death.
Some Keys to Recognizing a Meth lab:
* strong or unusual chemical odors;
* lab equipment such as glass tubes, beakers, Bunsen burners, funnels, etc.;
* Evidence of large quantities of cold medications or non-prescription
weight loss products;
* Large umber of discarded blister packages or plastic bottles with the
bottoms cut out;
* Chemical cans or drums in the yard, often with labels painted over;
* Fortifications on homes or outbuildings, such as barred windows or doors.
Before you enter a concealed Meth lab, you will need special training and
protective gear. Stay at least 500 feet away, and notify the proper
authorities when you suspect a meth lab nearby. A multi-agency response, to
include fire, police, and EMS personnel, is required to respond to this
kind of incident. For more information visit
http://stopdrugs.org (Please click on Meth Crisis link.) The life you
save, could be your own! Source: Emergency Grapevine
http://www.emergencygrapevine.com
21:30CDT - 22:30EDT - 17 June 2001
Secondary Reports Say Three Dead in Queen's Blaze and Explosion
NYC, NY (EmergencyNet News) -- In a statement recently issued by NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani, it was reported that three firefighters have died in the five-alarm blaze this evening in the Queens. At least fifteen other fire personnel were injured. EmergencyNet News sends its prayers and condolences to the family, friends, and co-workers of those who lost their lives in this fire...EmergencyNet News is monitoring events in NYC and will bring you additional updates as circumstances warrant...
*****
21:00CDT/22:00EDT - 17 June 2001
Seventeen Firefighters Injured in Queens Blaze; Two Critical
NYC, NY (EmergencyNet News) -- According to emergency
service sources, at least seventeen (17) firefighters have been injured
this evening in a five-alarm fire and explosion. According to fire
officials , firefighters were arriving at the scene of a fire in a
hardware store when two explosions occurred. The building's roof collapsed
and trapped a firefighter inside. Reports from the scene say that he was
finally rescued hours later, but was reported to be in extremely critical
condition when taken to a nearby hospital. Two other civilians were also
reportedly injured in the incident. Few other official details are
currently available...
Firefighters Battle Wildfires In Western States
In what could be just a prelude to what could be ahead for the western fire season, flames from a 4,100-acre wildfire crept to within 30 feet of homes in Susanville, California. Firefighters in northern California had the Susanville blaze about 50 percent contained early Wednesday. Elsewhere, firefighters battled a 6,500-acre wildland near Nevada's Pyramid Lake. In New Mexico, rugged terrain hampered firefighters in the Guadalupe Mountains, where a strong wind swept a 2,000-acre fire across containment lines.
Last year was the worst for fires in a half-century, with 93,000 wildfires damaging 7.3 million acres. This year, the federal government increased firefighting reserves by $486 million to $1.8 billion, and it plans to hire 3,600 more firefighters this year, for a total of 9,000...
Federal Authorities Look At Suspicious Fires
Fire destroyed two buildings and several vehicles were destroyed at a tree nursery in Clatskanie, Oregon. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has now entered the case to see if a radical environmentalist organization was responsible for the blaze ignited by explosives. Meanwhile, in Seattle, fire officials determined late Tuesday that arson was to blame for a fire that gutted laboratories and offices at the University of Washington's Center for Urban Horticulture. The FBI said that it was unclear whether the fires were related.
An FBI spokesman said: "If the Seattle fire turns out to be a politically motivated arson, then we're interested. Then we have to look to see if it's connected with anything else." Both fires were reported at about 03:20PDT Monday. No one was injured.
In the Oregon fire, about six pickup trucks, all-terrain vehicles and a semi-trailer at Jefferson Poplar Farms were destroyed along with an equipment storage building and a maintenance building. A number of undetonated explosives were found by arson investigators near the nursery's office building. The letters "ELF" were written on the side of a building, as was the phrase "You cannot control what is wild."
14:30CDT - 22 May 2001
Weapons and Chemicals Found Following Fire in Apartment Complex
Columbus, OH (EmergencyNet News) -- According to local authorities, a man has been arrested and an apartment complex evacuated after a fire that was sparked by lightening last night. During the search after the fire, Columbus firefighters said that they found a large quantity of weapons and some potentially dangerous chemicals in an apartment.
Shortly thereafter the building was evacuated. A major investigation continues at this hour as local police and fire officials, the FBI, and ATF, all are attempting to determine the purpose of the chemicals and the weapons cache'.
EmergencyNet News continues to monitor this case and will provide additional details as the circumstances warrant...Click here for a link to the story at WBNS, Channel 10 in Columbus, OH --- ** Special thanks to our EmergencyNet NewsTipper: Keith Short
Firefighters Battle Blazes
At least nine large fires were reported across drought-stricken Florida on Saturday. Matt Weinell, a Division of Forestry officer in Tallahassee, said: "We're having a lot of fires all over the state from the northwest Panhandle all the way down the state to South Florida."
The fires burning on Saturday included one in central Florida that has sent smoke drifting across Walt Disney World Resort at Orlando since Thursday. The 450-acre blaze, two miles from Disney, was 35 percent contained on Saturday. The largest wildfire was in the Big Cypress National Preserve, 75 miles west of Miami, has burned 20,800 acres during the past week and was only about 30 to 35 percent contained by Saturday. East of that fire, a blaze in Everglades National Park had burned about 8,000 acres in a remote section of Miami-Dade County but was nearly contained.
In the Fakahatchee Strand, a state preserve in southwest Florida, a 12,800-acre fire reached Picayune State Forest. Other fires burned in forest and swamp land in central Florida and the Panhandle. Since the beginning of the year, 2,648 wildfires have burned nearly 194,000 acres in Florida.
In related news, Gary Arnold, CEM, of Collier County (FL) Office of Emergency Management passed away this Sunday morning at 04:49 hrs. Gary suffered a heart attack after working at the scene of a major brushfire in the Florida Everglades on Saturday. Mr. Arnold was a well-known webmaster and participant in many Fire and Emergency Management forums on the internet....and a respected friend and supporter of EmergencyNet News. The EmergencyNet News staff would like to send out our prayers and condolences to Mr. Arnold's family, friends, and co-workers.
Memorial services for Mr. Arnold will be held at 19:00EDT, May 23, 2001 at: Unity Church of Naples, 2000 Unity Way, Naples, FL 34112
19 Apr 2001
FLORIDA:
Fires Out Of Control On Gulf Coast
In what was seen as further taxing firefighters who are trying to bring under control a 6,000-acre wildfire, an arsonist is said to had set a dozen fires that threatened homes on Florida's parched Gulf Coast on Thursday. One home was destroyed and dozens of homes and vehicles were damaged by the arson fires that burned a total of 500 acres south of Tampa. Scores of residents were evacuated.
A North Port Fire Department official said that the fires had started shortly after noon and were of suspicious origin. In a county reserve near North Port, winds whipped a 6,000-acre fire out of control. One house has been destroyed by the fire, which began Wednesday as a county-approved burn. At least 200 firefighters were in the area battling the blaze.
Aggravating firefighting efforts were afternoon winds, low humidity and tinder-dry conditions from a three-year drought that shows no signs of easing. Florida had been hit with 2,000 wildfires this fire season that burned more than 138,000 acres and damaged or destroyed 43 homes.
PHOENIX, AZ:
Firefighter Killed In Blaze; Three Other FF's Injured
A Phoenix firefighter was killed on Wednesday (14 Mar 2001) and three others were hospitalized while battling a raging fire at a west Phoenix shopping center. Forty-one-year-old Bret Tarver was an eight-year veteran and the first Phoenix firefighter to be killed in the line of duty since 1994. More than 100 firefighters were at the scene of the rare five-alarm blaze in Phoenix.
A 24-year-old woman was transported to Maricopa County Medical Center on Friday suffering from burns on her upper body as a result of a fire at an apartment complex at 19th and Dunlap Avenues. Officials with the Phoenix Fire Department say the woman's second-story apartment is a total loss and that three other apartments were damaged in the fire. There are unconfirmed reports that a domestic violence incident may have sparked the blaze.
06 Mar 2001
JACKSONVILLE, FL:
Firefighting Resources Adequate??
As the City of Jacksonville grows, firefighting services are being stretched thin. A long awaited consultant's report is advising city officials to build at least three new fire stations. Listed as the areas of the most critical need are Butler Boulevard and Hodges, Phillips Highway and St. Augustine Road, and on the Westside near Beaver and Chaffee Road. But the executive summary also points out additional problems. For instance, some fire stations don't even meet city fire codes. One note of encouragement though is the assessment of downtown facilities. The report also says most of Jacksonville's fires occur in the central core of the city, which is the area that's the most adequately staffed.
01 Mar 2001
CHICAGO, IL:
Five Killed In Worst Chicago Fire In Years
In what was called the deadliest blaze in Chicago in nearly four years, five people, including a 7-month-old boy and his grandmother, were killed Thursday (01 Mar 2001) in a fire at a South Side apartment with locked burglar gates on the rear entrance. Firefighters said that two victims were found near the back door.
Among those killed in the fire were the grandmother's son and her blind brother. The only survivor, the grandmother's 4-year- old grandson, was in critical condition at University of Chicago Children's Hospital.
All six occupants were trapped in the first floor apartment when firefighters arrived at about 0900 CST. Flames and heavy smoke conditions were reported from the apartment at the three-story brick six-flat at 6037 South Indiana Avenue. Firefighters found an adult and an infant in the bathroom and another two victims near a front stairwell. All six were carried from the apartment by firefighters, who administered CPR on the front lawn. It took 15 minutes to knock down the blaze.
The blaze was the deadliest in Chicago since 25 October 1997, when six people were killed in a fire at 2504 South California Blvd.
20 Feb 2001
FLORIDA:
Major Wildfires Continues To Burn
No injuries were reported but wildfires destroyed several homes on Tuesday as hundreds of firefighters scrambled to contain the blazes. A fire in southwest Florida's Lee County destroyed four homes. Farther north, an 11,000-acre blaze near Polk City forced the evacuation of about 30 homes. Firefighters said the best they could hope for is to contain the fire as it raced through the Green Swamp. At least one major interstate roadway was closed as the result of heavy smoke in the area.
The Polk City blaze started last week when a trash fire got out of control. It is the largest of Florida's wildfire's this year, but firefighters said they were bracing for possible long months of wildfire work ahead.
19 Feb 2001
FLORIDA:
Firefighters Battle Wildfires
No injuries and no houses have been damaged as firefighters early Monday battled a 9,000-acre wildfire in a dry swampy area in central Florida. The blaze forced the evacuation of about 30 homes near Polk City. The wind-driven fire in the Green Swamp grew from 2,000 acres on Saturday night and jumped Interstate 4, a heavily traveled route between Tampa and Orlando. The Polk County Correctional Institute took 120 inmates with respiratory problems to neighboring jails.
Meanwhile, south of Orlando, firefighters mopped up after a wildfire that this weekend burned 3,000 acres in Okeechobee and Indian River counties. Three other fires burned north of Polk City, including a 3,825-acre fire on the Lake-Polk county line.
A total of 1,230 fires have destroyed 83,150 acres from the beginning of the fire season on 1 January through Saturday. Fire officials say drought and recent freezes mean conditions for igniting fires are worse than in 1998, when blazes burned 500,000 acres across the state.
17 Feb 2001
ILLINOIS:
Two Firefighters Killed In Blaze
ASHTON -- According to officials in Ashton, Illinois, two volunteer firefighters were killed and four others were injured battling a house fire early Saturday (17 Feb 2001). Seven volunteer fire departments responded to the morning fire, which began in the basement of a house located in Lee County. The fire spread throughout the building, and the first floor of the house apparently collapsed into the basement.
It was not immediately known how the firefighters were killed. The residents, believed to be a woman and her 30-year-old son, were not injured. Ashton firefighters Mike McKean and Clint Talley were reported killed. The four injured firefighters were treated for minor injuries. The Illinois state Fire Marshal's Office and the Lee County Sheriff's Department are investigating the cause of the blaze...
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