Thursday, Feb. 22nd was the last day of the first ever DOF Wildland Fire Prevention, Investigation & Compliance-Enforcement Academy. As students worked through the various courtroom scenarios there were numerous instructors, specialists and subject matter experts to thank for making this ten day training a success. This groundbreaking academy brought together participants from various agencies across Alaska, underscoring the state's commitment to enhancing interagency cooperation in preventing and managing wildland fires. By training students from diverse backgrounds, the academy not only builds individual capacity but also fosters a culture of collaboration and knowledge sharing critical for protecting Alaska's majestic landscapes and its people.  

Cleveland firefighters worked to put out a fire that spread across several tractor-trailers in Cuyahoga Heights early Friday morning. Fire officials confirmed a number of tractor-trailers went up in flames around 2:45 a.m., but no injuries have been reported. A driver at the terminal told 19 News five trucks had gone up in flames. Firefighters responded to a truck terminal in the 500 block of Harvard Avenue near Jennings Road. The cause of the fire has not been confirmed by fire officials. Cleveland fire dispatch says the location of the fire is on the Newburgh Heights and Cuyahoga Heights border.  

VIDEO: Hillsborough County Fire Captain Devon Brady lives a large-scale life. From riding shotgun in a big-engine truck to putting up a huge art installation at a museum, he wants ABC Action News viewers to know that you can do both. "I started out an art major, I went through art school at USF, then I worked at a theatrical design company for about 10 years," said Brady. However, his outlook on the future changed, like so many Americans, on Sept. 11, 2001. "I remember specifically watching a story about a woman who lost her husband in the towers, and she said, ‘I never thought this would happen to me, we met in art school, and my husband was a sculptor, and he became a firefighter later in life,' and something about that was interesting to me," said Brady.  

VIDEO: Firefighters are used to being on-call to serve the community. Now those skills are being used while off-duty, to help in a different way. Curtis Smith spent 18 years as a firefighter, mostly with the city of Golden Valley. "About five years ago I just thought, 'These people are so talented. They're such wonderful people. They're so trustworthy. This really calls for some sort of business,'" Smith recalled. Firefighter Handyman launched in January — dispatching off-duty firefighters to handle home repairs across the Twin Cities metro area. The four founders include Smith (retired firefighter), Jeff Piper and Ryan Hering with the Golden Valley Fire Department, and Libby Grygar with the Minnetonka Fire Department. Combined, they have 50-plus years in the fire service.  

Volkswagen is recalling more than 261,000 cars in the U.S. to fix a potential fuel leak that can increase the risk of fires. The recall covers certain Audi A3s and VW Golfs and GTIs from the 2015 through 2020 model years. Also included are 2015 through 2019 Golf Sportwagens, and 2019 and 2020 VW Jettas. All the recalled cars have front-wheel drive. VW says in documents posted Thursday by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that a problem with a pump seal can let fuel leak from a charcoal canister in the emissions control system. The agency says leaking fuel increases the risk of a fire. Dealers will replace the pump, which is inside the fuel tank, at no cost to owners. VW will send out notification letters starting April 12. The recall is the second for many of the car owners.