The fires in the Grapefruit Complex were affected by 30-40 mph winds, which led to an extension of the evacuation levels to Mile Marker 65 on the Elliot Highway. State Emergency Managers, Alaska State Troopers and Fire Managers worked together to broadcast the increased evacuation levels along the Elliot Highway Corridor. The "GO" evacuation levels increased to include Mile Post 30 to 50. Despite the rain that was experienced in the Fairbanks area, there was no measurable precipitation over the fire area. Today there is a high probability of a wind event over the fire area. Due to southwest winds, smoke will likely impede driving conditions that may lead to significant road delays for north- and south-bound travel. All of the fires in the complex have grown under the hot and dry conditions, with more predicted wind in the area today.  

PHOTOS: An explosion was reported as a fire ripped through an RV Tuesday in Peabody, Massachusetts, sending three people to hospitals. Video shared with NBC10 Boston showed flames erupting from a vehicle, and footage from Walker Road showed firefighters surrounding an RV that was nearly completely gutted by fire. Peabody Fire Chief Jay Dowling said Tuesday afternoon that firefighters responded to multiple calls reporting an RV explosion. Crews arrived to find the RV fully involved, with a concern that the fire could spread to nearby houses. Dowling said two victims were airlifted to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, while a third was brought to Lahey Hospital in Burlington. He did not give any information on the victims' conditions.  

VIDEO: Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs joined Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski and others to promote fire safety ahead of the Fourth of July. There are over 10,600 home fires that are started by grills each year, according to the National Fire Protection Association. During the summer, and especially in the upper Midwest, data also shows a significant increase in homeowners' insurance claims due to fires started by grilling activities. "Fire is a good thing if you control it," Lipski said. "We keep the grills from the home. We don't keep the grills unattended, have a garden hose at the ready. Simple basic things." Tuesday's gathering was part of USAA's "Huddle Up for Home Fire Prevention & Safety" campaign. Jacobs wore a fire-safe coat to demonstrate how to safely extinguish flames in the event of a fire.  

VIDEO/PHOTO: July 6 marks the 80th remembrance of the deadliest single building or building complex fire in Connecticut history. The infamous Hartford Circus Fire happened on July 6, 1944. An estimated 168 people died that day, and experts say there were almost certainly more who lost their lives. Natalie Belanger, a public programs manager for the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History, estimates there were between 8,000 and 9,000 people under the big top that sweltering summer afternoon. "They're really only a few minutes into this matinee show when a fire breaks out on one of the sidewalls of the tent," Belanger said. "Some people thought it was part of the act. Some people just thought, ‘well, there's a fire, but they'll put it out. Let's stay put.'"  

Violence and mass shootings often surge in the summer months, especially around the Fourth of July, historically one of the deadliest days of the year. A flurry of shootings around the holiday a year ago left more than a dozen people dead and over 60 wounded. Just two years ago, another mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade left seven people dead near Chicago. The Gun Violence Archive, which tracks mass shootings involving four or more people regardless of whether they died, shows June, July, and August have had the highest total number of mass shootings over the past decade. The lowest totals were from December through March. Independence Day topped the list with 58 mass shootings over the last 10 years — closely followed by July 5, according to the archive.