Division of Forestry & Fire Protection firefighters responded to a lightning caused fire along the Susitna River west of Willow. Susitna Fire (#235) is burning in black spruce west of Willow Creek Parkway. Helitack has responded and is dropping buckets of water. Soldotna Helitack has responded to shuttle firefighters to the fire. Suppression Module Denali, a hand crew sponsored by Chugachmiut Tribal Consortium, and crew members of both helicopters were shuttled to the fire. Tanker-544 responded from Fairbanks along with Air Attack and dropped a load of retardant to keep the #SusitnaFire(#235) in check while firefighters were shuttled to the fire.  

Two people were critically injured after their SUV collided with a trailer carrying barrels of oil near Giddings, authorities say. According to Texas DPS, at around 10:49 a.m. on June 23, troopers responded to a crash that happened near the intersection of US 290 and FM 180 in Lee County. DPS says a truck tractor towing a trailer carrying barrels of crude oil was attempting to enter the eastbound lane of US 290. An SUV, with a man and woman inside, was heading east and struck the trailer. As a result, the vehicle caught on fire. The man and woman inside the SUV were taken to the hospital for treatment, says DPS. Earlier in the day, Lee County EMS said two critically injured people were transported to Austin.  

VIDEO: The Dexter Fire Department celebrated its ‘Last Station' project with a ribbon cutting Sunday. The ‘Last Station' is a miniature museum next to the Dexter Historical Society, dedicated to the history of the fire department. It's the final home for the department's historic 1929 Brockway fire engine, the turnout gear work by Dexter's first female firefighter and a plaque dedicated to the men and women who gave their lives for the Dexter Fire Department. "It's gonna be the last place that these pieces of apparatus are stored so we are calling it the Last Station," said Gerry Kostyk, chairman of the project. It took more than five years to raise the money and build the station. The project started in 2019 and ended up exceeding its goal, by raising $145,000. As Kostyk explained, one firefighter and two words gave the project its start.  

PHOTOS/AUDIO: Patrick W. Stafford has no issues with standing on the top rungs of a Casper Fire Department ladder truck a few dozen feet above the earth or on a stage behind a six-string guitar playing a country song before a huge crowd. The stage is exactly where Stafford and his band were in Kaycee, Wyoming, as they opened for Kyle Park and late country artist Chris LeDoux's son, Ned, during Chris LeDoux Days, which was held June 14 - 15, 2024. "As far as gigs in Wyoming go, it is kind of a big deal," Stafford said. "They called me in January and asked if I would like to open up. I grew up listening to Chris LeDoux music and listening to songs on vinyl, like ‘The Yellow Stud.'" Stafford and his band played 11 of his original songs during a 45-minute set.