A massive fire that killed two people in northeast Harris County was sparked by an overloaded extension cord, according to the Harris County Fire Marshal's Office. Officials said an extension cord plugged in at one trailer home was being used to fully supply power to another trailer home on the property. A survivor told ABC13 her best friend was one of the two people who died in the flames. Video from the scene shows flames engulfing the trailer homes in the 8800 block of Furay Avenue near Mesa Drive. In total, three mobile homes were completely destroyed. The Sheldon Fire Department was the first to arrive at the scene at 11:47 p.m. Monday. Officials said there were multiple explosions on the property, meaning the fire was spreading to other areas quickly. Firefighters went into heavy defense mode trying to contain the spread.  

The City of Bryan says they have no problem keeping up with emergency calls with the help of a new program. Community paramedics are emerging across the country. It's something that caught the eye of Chris Lamb with the Bryan Fire Department. "Every year the call volume increases more and more and more. In the past, it was always trying to throw ambulances at the problem, you know, and we really had to sit down and come up with innovative creative ideas and ways to handle certain situations," Lamb said. Lamb worked to identify frequent callers, people using the emergency number for non-emergencies or issues that could be treated from home. "[They're] lifestyle emergencies and it starts a vicious cycle if they call 9-1-1. In the past, we didn't have any other option but to take them to the hospital which increases the hospital surge and then the hospital can't really handle their issue so they send them home and then they call back and you can see where the cycle starts all over again," Lamb said.  

VIDEO: The fire burning Sunday and into Monday afternoon on Padre Island was started by two 12-year-old boys trying to cook in the dunes, said Corpus Christi Fire Department Asst. Chief Randy Paige. He said one of the boys was injured during the fire, and was being treated for first- and second-degree burns to his hands. Nueces County Emergency Service District 2 (ESD2) crews were back at the scene of the fire that began Sunday to try and finish extinguishing the flames, which was eventually put out at around 4:30 p.m. "I know I watched it overnight to see if it was going to spread," ESD No. 2 deputy chief JP Hominick said. ESD2 officials said in a social media post Sunday night that they hoped to let the fire burn out by itself due to it heading toward marshy areas and the water, but then posted Monday morning that it was back at the scene to help extinguish the fire.  

VIDEO: One person was killed after an 18-wheeler fuel tanker overturned on a south Texas highway on Monday resulting in a massive blaze, local media reports said. The fuel tanker overturned and burst into flames at around 7 p.m. Apr. 17 local media reported, quoting the Brownsville Police Department. Emergency vehicles were immediately deployed to the scene. The fire was brought under control and roads reopened later on Monday evening, local media reported. Eyewitness footage circulated on social media showed bystanders gathered and looking at the blaze from a safe distance. The Texas Department of Public Safety have since opened an investigation into the incident, a police spokesperson said.  

A massive fire that killed two people in northeast Harris County was sparked by an overloaded extension cord, according to the Harris County Fire Marshal's Office. Officials said an extension cord plugged in at one trailer home was being used to fully supply power to another trailer home on the property. A survivor told ABC13 her best friend was one of the two people who died in the flames. Video from the scene shows flames engulfing the trailer homes in the 8800 block of Furay Avenue near Mesa Drive. In total, three mobile homes were completely destroyed. The Sheldon Fire Department was the first to arrive at the scene at 11:47 p.m. Monday. Officials said there were multiple explosions on the property, meaning the fire was spreading to other areas quickly. Firefighters went into heavy defense mode trying to contain the spread.  

VIDEO: The Centers for Disease Control is launching a new survey to better understand how the work firefighters do could be linked to cancer. The president of the Tulsa firefighters union said this is something he's been advocating in favor of for years. Matt Lay, who battled and beat a previous cancer diagnosis, said he has lobbied Congress for something like this for six years. Monday, the CDC announced the creation of the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer, which is an online enrollment system for firefighters across the country. Its purpose is to help researchers learn about the dangers of the job and how it impacts the body. "Anytime you're dealing with smoke, chemicals, fumes, things like that," said Lay. "Your rate of cancer occurrence goes up exponentially."  

An ambulance on the way to an emergency call was hit broadside by an SUV that, sources say, was being pursued by police on Friday morning in Northeast Philadelphia. The crash happened around 10:30 a.m. at E. Cheltenham Ave. and Saul Street. In video obtained by Action News, the ambulance's siren can be heard just moments before it is hit broadside by an SUV. The ambulance is pushed off the road and onto the sidewalk, nearly tipping onto its side. "The ambulance jumped up a little bit before it came to the side of my house," said witness Nina Vidal Rios. The EMTs inside the smashed ambulance, a 42-year-old man and 51-year-old woman, were hurt. The female medic suffered broken ribs and a broken leg. "She did seem scared and she kept telling the gentleman to not leave her alone, to stay with her," said Vidal Rios.  

VIDEO/PHOTOS: Firefighters are quick to respond in an emergency, but one local fire chief took his public safety efforts one step forward. Haines City Fire Chief Thomas Murphy Jr. was part of a three-member team that developed four emergency medical devices used on ambulances and at hospitals nationwide and internationally. The first was an adjustable extrication neck collar. The neck collar is used for cervical spine injuries in emergencies such as traffic accidents and hospital settings. He started work on the adjustable neck collar in 1994 while working as a firefighter. He says he saw a need for it while out responding to calls. "So, what we did is just come up with one that was adjustable, and you could adjust it on the patient. It was a much better fit and easier to use. As a result, better patient care, better patient outcome. So yeah, some lives were probably saved," Murphy said.  

One hundred and seventeen years ago, a devastating earthquake hit San Francisco. The quake and fire killed thousands of people and took years to rebuild the city. On April 18—almost 120 years later—the community continues to remember those who lost their lives that day and honor those who rebuilt the city. Tuesday's wreath-laying ceremony happened just after 5 a.m. with a crowd gathering at Lotta's Fountain. Officials in attendance included Mayor London Breed, former mayor Willie Brown, Fire Chief Jeanine Nicholson, Police Chief William Scott and the master of ceremonies Bob Sarlatte. Community leaders came dressed up in 1906 attire. The moment of silence was set for 5:11 a.m., the same time that the quake and fires began in 1906. San Francisco Fire then broke the silence with sirens for about 30 seconds.