The victim in a fatal crash east of Temple has been identified. The Hilltop Lakes Volunteer Fire Department tells FOX 44 News that the person who passed away in the Tuesday morning crash was its EMS Director, Dennis Lee Smith. The crash occurred at FM-53 and State Highway 320. The department says Smith was on his way to work and never arrived for his shift. Smith led the Hilltop Lakes EMS Department since 2016, and recently succeeded in getting the approval of a brand new ambulance. The department says he was known for his stern, yet soft personality, and knowledgeable mindset. Smith also served as a volunteer firefighter and paramedic for numerous agencies throughout Northeast Texas for over 30 years, saving and impacting the lives of hundreds. He was a father of three and grandfather of three.  

Power lines ignited massive wildfires across the Texas Panhandle that destroyed homes and killed thousands of livestock, officials said Thursday, including the largest blaze in state history that the utility provider Xcel Energy said its equipment appeared to have sparked. The Texas A&M Forest Service said its investigators have concluded that the Smokehouse Creek Fire was ignited by power lines, as was the nearby Windy Deuce Fire. The utility provider Xcel Energy said Thursday that its equipment appeared to have played a role in igniting the Smokehouse Creek Fire, though it did not believe its equipment was responsible for the Windy Deuce Fire. The Smokehouse Creek Fire burned nearly 1,700 square miles and destroyed hundreds of structures.  

A group of young firefighters, aged 14 to 17, have stepped up to assist in combating the largest wildfire in Texas history. Nine young men, part of a junior program at the Hoover Volunteer Fire Department, were called into action Monday as the massive blaze threatened their North Texas community. Among them are 16-year-old Trey Stark, who has been in the department for two years and has assisted on numerous fires, and 15-year-old Jeritt Ferguson, who is battling his first fire. "I knew our senior firefighters would get us through it," Trey said during a Wednesday interview on NewsNation's "Dan Abrams Live." The Texas A&M Forest Service reported that more than a million acres have been consumed by the fire, an area roughly equivalent to the size of Rhode Island. The inferno has claimed two lives and forced thousands to evacuate their homes.  

Firefighters spent hours battling a huge fire at what is believed to be a former cardboard warehouse in South Jersey. Fire crews responded to the large building along Sykes Lane in Monroe Township, before 10 p.m. Thursday. As SkyForce10 hovered over the scene, thick smoke and heavy flames could be seen engulfing the Gloucester County building. County dispatchers said the building appeared to be a former cardboard facility. The flames weren't under control until almost 1 a.m. Friday, they said. Luckily, no injuries were reported, dispatchers said. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.  

Raleigh is disciplining an unknown number of firefighters after a local rapper filmed a music video at Raleigh Fire Station 12. The city previously said it was investigating after the rapper known as CEO Shoutoutt filmed his "Fire Drill" freestyle rap in front of the station on Poole Road. On Thursday, a group that represents local firefighters said those involved had been disciplined and that the group was looking into the matter. "We are aware of disciplinary actions issued to the members we represent for the incident that occurred on January 29th outside station 12," according to a statement from the Raleigh Professional Fire Fighters Association. "We are looking further into the matter to ensure all policies and procedures were followed." The video, shared on the rapper's YouTube page, shows two Raleigh fire trucks with their lights on and the rapper wearing a plastic red fire helmet. No firefighters appear in the music video.  

VIDEO: The Ishpeming City Fire Department is trying to track down an antique fire truck it had decades ago. The department traded in its 1951 Pirsch Pumper in 1995 for a truck the department still uses today. According to Ishpeming City Fire Chief Jason Annala, the truck changed hands several times until it was sold online in 2018 on the Fenton Fire Equipment website. Now the fire department is trying to track down the owner so it can buy it back. Annala says the truck is a piece of Ishpeming's history and he'd like to see it come home. "We like to preserve history," said Annala. "We have our 1923 Seagrave Pumper still, we have a horse cart, and we have a hand pumper cart. It would be nice to get one of the newer older vehicles back." If you have any information on the truck, contact the Ishpeming City Fire Department's Facebook page or email Annala.  

Product safety regulators are urging Evercross EV5 hoverboard users to find another ride, pronto. The product is a fire hazard and led to a blaze that caused substantial property damage to a residential building in New York City in May of 2023, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced Thursday. Made in China by Jinhua Smart Electric Technology Co., the hoverboards come in black, blue or pink, with Evercross printed on the front. They sell online for between $180 and $300 on Amazon, eBay, Likesporting, Lowes, Newegg, Ridefaboard and Walmart, according to the CPSC. Owners of the hoverboards should immediately remove the battery pack and take it to a battery recycler or hazardous waste collection center.