Hot and hungry from a morning of working outside in the Alaska summer heat, a group of 10 women firefighters sat for lunch and conversation. Pulaskis and chainsaws by their sides, the crew rested on the warm, blemished black of a recently burnt forest area in the hills of the Ikheenjik River – formerly known as Birch Creek – 70 miles northeast of Fairbanks. They listened intently as the crew boss addressed the group. The topic of conversation: Identifying issues encountered during their arduous morning labor of working with chainsaws. Crew boss Thomas Partipillo spoke using fire language, asking if they were confident on the reliability of their day's work to protect the remnants of a historic mining operation from a nearby wildfire.  

An abandoned motel went up in flames in Gastonia Monday night. Authorities on the scene say the blaze started as a call for a dumpster fire in the 500 block of Cox Road around 8 p.m. on Nov. 20. But when firefighters from the Gastonia Fire Department arrived, they saw the flames shooting in the air and upgraded it to a commercial fire. Firefighters believe fire started in one of the 50 rooms in the motel. Gastonia Fire Chief Phillip Welch Jr. was confident no one was inside. A dozen units responded using 65 firefighters. The Interstate 85 exit for Cox Road was closed for several hours by Gastonia Police. The hotel has been abandoned for years, according to authorities. There was no power to the building and firefighters are certain someone broke in and started a fire.  

VIDEO/PHOTOS: Emergency crews responded to Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH) after a US Navy jet overshot the runway and ended up in Kaneohe Bay, military officials said. The Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) sent out the initial alert just after 2 p.m. for a "probable aircraft fire incident." According to a spokesperson at MCBH, a US Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft was landing at the base when it overshot the landing field and landed in the Bay. Several units with Honolulu Emergency Medical Services (EMS) were called to the scene, but when they arrived they were told by military officials that all nine crew members on board the aircraft had made it safely back to shore. The P-8A is often used to hunt for submarines, and in reconnaissance and intelligence gathering, according to reporting by the Associated Press.  

The temps are dropping here in Western New York, and nothing tops off a holiday party or a cozy night at home quite like popping open a bottle of whiskey. That's where Hartman's Distilling comes in. A local distillery, cocktail bar, and full-service kitchen, Hartman's Distilling is a popular spot in downtown Buffalo that makes drinking local as easy as it is delicious. And in addition to their usual assortment of locally-made spirits, they've got a brand new bourbon launching this month in one of their coolest and most unique local collaborations to date. Hartman's Distilling Co.'s "Cotter's Cask" Barrel Proof Straight Blended Bourbon, a one-of-a-kind unicorn bourbon created in collaboration between Hartman's Distilling and the Buffalo Fire Department that takes the best of local spirits and intertwines it with a fascinating bit of Buffalo's rich history.  

A cancer screening pilot program in partnership with Dartmouth Health, Manchester Fire Department, and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield proved lifesaving as screening results were shared, along with a personal story from the city fire marshal, at a news event held at Manchester Central Fire Department on Monday. "Due to this early screening program, one department member is cancer-free today," said Chief Ryan J. Cashin of the Manchester Fire Department (MFD). "Every day the Manchester Fire Department responds to the citizens of this great city with the single purpose of saving lives. It is an honor to announce that we saved the life of one of our own members." Fire Marshal Peter J. Lennon, CFI, lung screening showed incidental findings which triggered the need for additional blood work.