The Bureau of Land Management Alaska Fire Service (BLM AFS) and 11th Airborne Division (11th ABD) will soon implement multiple prescribed fires on military training lands in Interior Alaska. Burning could begin as early as Saturday, May 6, starting with woody debris piles and dead grass within the Donnelly Training Area. As conditions allow, prescribed burning in the Donnelly Training Area (DTA) near Delta Junction, the Yukon Training Area (YTA) near Eielson Air Force Base, and on Fort Wainwright (FWA) land near Fairbanks may continue through May 31. Prescribed burns are fires that are intentionally set under controlled conditions to reduce dry and dead grass and lower the risk of wildfires that could impact nearby communities, resources, facilities and military training.  

A massive three-alarm fire engulfed an industrial warehouse in Commerce Friday, sending thick smoke into the air and destroying what is believed to be a plastic manufacturing plant. The blaze erupted at about 3:40 a.m. in the 6500 block of Flotilla Street west of Davie Avenue. Los Angeles County Fire Department crews encountered flames leaping into the air, creating a massive plume of black smoke that could be seen for miles. Smoke was visible from more than 10 miles away. The roof of the structure quickly collapsed as flames ripped through the building, which is believed to house a textile business that manufactures plastic benches. There were no immediate reports of injuries, and it was unclear what sparked the blaze.  

The Georgetown Fire Department is now the first in Kentucky to offer a specific type of cancer screening test to its firefighters. It's called the Galleri test and it can detect more than 50 types of cancer, even in the earliest stages. "We always want to try to figure out ways that we can take care of our members," said Chief Tim Thompson, Georgetown Fire Department. The partnership for the tests is with Grail, LLC which created the multi-cancer early detection test. Chief Thompson says he's excited about what it can do for the men and women in the department. "The test is a simple blood draw. They'll come take blood from us and send it off. What it does is it actually detects DNA breakdown if there's cancer in the body," said Chief Thompson. Chief Thompson says if a cancer signal is found in the blood, the Galleri test can pinpoint, with a high level of accuracy, the source of the signal in the body.  

While the Lake Norden fire department has received offers of help after a Wednesday morning fire destroyed much of its equipment, the long-term replacement will take time and money. Four of the department's five fire vehicles were destroyed in the fire as well as the two ambulances, said Tony Aas, the city's police chief. Area fire departments will help cover fires and related emergencies for the fire department. The state and others have stepped in to provide equipment and vehicles for ambulance service, Aas said. "It's 18 months out with any public safety vehicle, for new. It's going to be a long process," Aas said. The fire destroyed two tanker haulers, a brush truck and one engine pumper, Aas said.  

Volunteers at the Thibodaux Fire Department are getting floats ready to roll for Sunday's morning Firemen's Fair parade, one of the longest-recorded parades in U.S. history. When you rewind and travel back in time for a peek at pictures from past parades, you'll learn the parade has been rolling through Thibodaux since the 1800s. Our research indicates the parade started in 1860 and ran non-stop, except for two times throughout the 160-year history: World War II and the COVID-19 pandemic. It's the parade that keeps going and going, celebrating a longstanding tradition in Thibodaux, and recognizing the hundreds of volunteers that make up the Thibodaux Fire Department. With a float from all eight companies, the real proof is in the people: the people in the parade and the ones waiting and watching, so proud to know that the biggest volunteer fire department in America has Louisiana roots.  

VIDEO: When Michael McAllister of Turtle Creek is not on the football field, he's fighting fires. Now, the 23-year-old is heading to California as an undrafted free agent with the Los Angeles Rams! He became a volunteer firefighter for the Turtle Creek Volunteer Fire Department when he was 16. "I fell in love with it at a young age, and I've always made time for this place. It's like a second home to me," McAllister said. "I just like the idea of volunteering in the free time that I had." His free time was limited because of the passion he found long before he put on his firefighter helmet. "Since I was 9 years old, I told people I was going to play in the NFL," McAllister said. As of 8 p.m. last Saturday, he got one step closer to proving it. "I was a free agent for all of about an hour," McAllister said. That's when he got a call from the Rams.