The Denton Fire Department announced Friday that it has achieved accreditation status for the first time, a status shared by about 300 fire departments internationally and 10 other departments in Texas. Accreditation through the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) is a voluntary program that assesses a department's ability to provide continued excellent service to its citizens. Accreditation outlines a blueprint of best industry practices for an agency in areas like administrative processes, training, public education, fire investigation, emergency medical services and more. The department reaching accredited agency status "demonstrates the commitment of the agency to provide the highest quality of service to our community," Fire Chief Kenneth Hedges said in a press release.  

PHOTOS: Two Shallowater firefighters were injured Sunday afternoon when their truck overturned while on their way to a grass fire. Lubbock County Commissioner and Lieutenant with the Shallowater Fire Department, Jordan Rackler says the volunteers were on their way to assist New Deal with a grass fire on County Road 2300 just after 2:15 p.m. when the driver lost control on FM 1294, left the roadway and overcorrected, causing the truck to overturn. Rackler says one firefighter was sent to Covenant but has already been released. The driver is being treated at UMC with non-life-threatening injuries. Rackler says the hospitality from other fire departments has been amazing, supporting these firefighters as they recover.  

VIDEO: An arson investigation is underway after two cars caught fire at an apartment complex in west Houston. The Houston Fire Department responded to the fire at the Madison Park Apartments on Meadowglen Lane around 2 a.m. Saturday. Officials said they had to call for backup after seeing the fire from two cars spread onto an apartment building. Fortunately, crews were able to contain the flames before serious damage was done. "They did a great job of cutting the fire off, so there's only a little bit of extension onto the building," HFD District Chief Robert Logan said. No injuries were reported in the fire, according to Logan. Arson will now investigate what started the incident. Kaitlyn Imhoff, a resident of the building that the fire spread to, said it was a terrifying situation.  

Firefighters battled a suspicious fire on the southwest side of town late Sunday evening. SAFD responded to reports of a structure fire around 10:24 p.m. to the 9200 block of Echo Port Drive. When they arrived they were met with flames coming from the back and side of the home. Everyone was evacuated but the battalion chief says one person is not yet accounted for, but they believe he may have been away from his home. There was a roof and floor collapse and the main walls were leaning with possible collapse issues that are keeping the firefighters out of the house to further search the house. The house will most likely be knocked down by the city. No word on actual damages was provided. The battalion chief says that a second fire was reported nearby, and that the second one appears to be intentional.  

The Amarillo Fire Department battled two fires within blocks of each other. Around 5:30 p.m. Saturday, a garage apartment caught on fire at the corner of N. Washington and NW 15th. When firefighters arrived, flames were shooting through the roof. Crews knocked the fire down then made entry to conduct a search and finish putting out the fire. There were no injuries. Just before 3 p.m., multiple people called 911 after seeing a large plume of smoke. A shed, fence and grass caught fire at 1004 N Hayden, about a half mile away. The Amarillo Fire Marshals Office is investigating the cause of both fires.  

VIDEO: Rural fire departments struggle to find enough certified candidates, but young women in the East Central Fire Science Program are trying to fill that gap. When these East Central High students cross the stage, they will have a diploma firefighter certification and basic EMT certification. The captain and all the lieutenants of the fire science program are young women. Some women might feel like they're too small to do the job, but these women said they find a way to get it done. "It doesn't matter what size you are. It really doesn't matter how much you weigh. You can do anything you possibly put your mind to. It's all a mental game. It really is," Mia Blunt, fire science lieutenant, said. These ladies are held to the same standards as their partners, performing the same tasks with the same heavy gear. Julianna McKenna said they find strength in each other.  

A tanker carrying flammable liquid exploded on U.S. Route 15 in Frederick, Maryland, Saturday, killing the driver and damaging nearby homes and cars. One family with children escaped the flames but lost their home. U.S. Route 15 was closed for hours as firefighters battled the flames and a large brush fire and a hazmat team worked to contain a hazardous spill. Route 15 was back open by Sunday morning. Frederick County Fire Chief Tom Coe said at a press conference that multiple calls came in for a house fire and vehicle explosion at the 500 block of Schley Avenue, near Rosemont Avenue, around noon. The tanker truck crashed and overturned while carrying a flammable liquid and became completely engulfed in flames, Coe said. The explosion sent flames and heavy smoke into the surrounding area.  

New Mexico has more than 2,000 career firefighters across the state, according to an analysis by the Legislative Finance Committee. And legislators are eyeing a bill to help cover their healthcare costs. House Bill 495, a bipartisan bill, would create a new fund for firefighter healthcare. The bill would allow firefighters to access up to $5,000 per year to pay for insurance, deductible, etc. Firefighters risk a wide rang of injury, like "strains and sprains, muscular pain . . . things that are also long-lasting or lifetime-lasting, like chemical burns, fire burns, frostbite, heat exhaustion, smoke or gas inhalation," bill co-sponsor Rep. Joshua N. Hernandez (R-Rio Rancho) told the House Labor, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee on Thursday, March 2. Given the high-risk nature of the job, he argued, the state should help out.  

VIDEO: No hazardous materials were on board the 28 cars of a Norfolk Southern train that derailed Saturday evening in Springfield, Ohio, officials said at a news briefing. It was the second derailment of the company's trains in Ohio in a matter of weeks after a train carrying dangerous chemicals derailed in East Palestine on Feb. 3. Multiple agencies responded to the derailment in Clark County, about 38 minutes from Columbus, at around 5 p.m. The 212-car train was headed to Birmingham, Alabama, from Bellevue, Ohio, said Kraig Barner, Norfolk Southern's general manager of operations. "None of those derailed cars were carrying hazardous material, and there were no injuries reported to the public or the two-man crew operating the train," Barner said. "Four empty non-hazardous material tank cars" were involved in the derailment, which had previously carried diesel exhaust fluid and an additive commonly used in wastewater treatment, Barner said.  

The last day of Brandon Norbury's life began when he clocked in at 7 a.m. for a 24-hour shift at Station 31. Norbury, a Gresham firefighter for 15 years, had reported for a new assignment that morning, Feb. 3. Station 31, which is near the Portland-Gresham border and responds to calls in both cities, is one of the busiest in the metro area, and Norbury felt like he was coming home. He had worked at the station a decade earlier. He was ready to get to work. With his background, he easily could have bragged – he was a former Navy SEAL who'd survived multiple overseas missions, then spent eight years as a Gresham police officer. But Norbury's motto was simple: Do, don't talk. He turned to firefighting because he'd had enough of confrontations, he told friends. Norbury, who was single and had a daughter, wanted a job that only involved helping others.  

The University of Massachusetts is warning about a TikTok drinking trend after 28 ambulances were summoned to off-campus parties. Students were observed Saturday carrying jugs with a mixture of alcohol, electrolytes, flavoring and water, dubbed "blackout rage gallons," or "BORGs," in a binge-drinking trend gaining traction on TikTok, officials said. There were so many calls for ambulances for student alcohol intoxication that neighboring agencies stepped in to help, officials said. The Amherst Fire Department said none of the cases were life-threatening. UMass Police reported two arrests for underage drinking. UMass officials said this is the first time the university has observed widespread use of BORGs at off-campus parties. In a statement, the university said the weekend's events will be assessed and steps taken to improve alcohol education. Incoming students already learn about physiological and medical risks of binge drinking.