An unoccupied home on the city's Southwest Side was destroyed by a fire late Tuesday night, according to the San Antonio Fire Department. The fire was called in around 10:50 p.m. at a home in the 260 block of Briggs Avenue, not far from New Laredo Highway and Southwest Military Drive. Firefighters said when they arrived, they found a single-story home fully engulfed in flames. They also had to battle water pressure problems from the hydrants that were near the home. Fire officials said the house is a complete loss and the home next to it sustained about $20,000 worth of damage. No one was inside either house at the time of the fire. Neighbors, however, say that some homeless people have been living there. At this time, the cause of the fire is not currently known.  

VIDEO: St. David's North Austin Medical Center has reopened Wednesday morning after a vehicle drove into the emergency room at approximately 5:38 p.m. Tuesday evening. One person has been declared dead and five others are injured, including two children. Now, a construction crew has worked to board up the damage and the hospital is welcoming walk-ins as per usual. Austin-Travis County EMS said the driver, who was treated by hospital staff, was pronounced dead on the scene. Four other people were transported to different hospitals, while another was treated on-site at St. David's North. In an update on Tuesday night, ATCEMS confirmed two children and one adult were taken to Dell Children's Medical Center. One of the children had critical injuries, while the other child and the adult had non-life-threatening injuries.  

Firefighters in Lumberton got some help from fire departments in Silsbee and Beaumont Tuesday morning to fight a fire at a small manufacturing plant just east of the city. Just after 9 a.m. Tuesday morning, a structure fire with chemicals was reported at a small manufacturing plant near Lumberton in the 9600 block of Wingfield, according to Lumberton Fire Chief Jeff McNeel. While Lumberton firefighters were headed to the fire, they could see a large column of smoke and made a request for mutual aid from other fire departments he told 12News. A tanker from the Silsbee Fire Department as well as a hazmat truck from Beaumont Fire Rescue responded to the fire to assist Lumberton firefighters, McNeel said. There were no injuries reported due to the fire he said.  

VIDEO: Several Houston County volunteer fire departments received new equipment that could save lives when responding to vehicle crashes. "We're one of the most rural fire departments in the county," said Weches Volunteer Fire Department Chief Mike Burran. The Houston County Emergency Service District donated a Jaws of Life extraction set worth $25,000. Burran explained how they work in an emergency. "You can take these and lay them underneath the vehicle, raise the whole vehicle up off of [someone]." The station sits right off State Highway 21 East. "And you get those big loads coming, and you get passenger cars and stuff coming too, you know. They have to be alert, or there's going to be an accident," said Burran. He said it appeared traffic has increased over the last few years.  

An unoccupied home on the city's Southwest Side was destroyed by a fire late Tuesday night, according to the San Antonio Fire Department. The fire was called in around 10:50 p.m. at a home in the 260 block of Briggs Avenue, not far from New Laredo Highway and Southwest Military Drive. Firefighters said when they arrived, they found a single-story home fully engulfed in flames. They also had to battle water pressure problems from the hydrants that were near the home. Fire officials said the house is a complete loss and the home next to it sustained about $20,000 worth of damage. No one was inside either house at the time of the fire. Neighbors, however, say that some homeless people have been living there. At this time, the cause of the fire is not currently known.  

VIDEO: A potentially lifesaving gift is being delivered to Buffalo Firefighters courtesy of an organization with strong ties to the department. In March 2023, Buffalo Firefighter Jason Arno died while battling a four-alarm fire on Main Street in Downtown Buffalo. Since Arno's tragic death, a foundation set up in his name, the Firefighter Arno Memorial Foundation (FAM), has been working to improve lives in the communities he served. 7 New Senior Reporter Eileen Buckley explains how this latest donation will have an immediate impact on the safety of firefighters. The Buffalo Professional Firefighters Local 282 wants to ensure firefighter safety. The union is delivering the special ID accountability tags thanks to the generosity of the Firefighter Arno Memorial Foundation.  

AT&T and the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) announced the next phase of FirstNet with a series of investments totaling more than $8 billion over 10 years. This next phase will create a 5G standalone (SA) core and support the transition of public safety's Band 14 spectrum from LTE to 5G. It will also expand mission-critical services – such as voice, video, data and location – and prepare the network to evolve beyond 5G. The build includes 1,000 new cell sites within the next two years and upgrades to public safety's dedicated fleet of deployable network assets with 5G connectivity. Starting in March, FirstNet will be "the first and only wireless network" to provide America's first responders with always-on priority and preemption across 5G, expanding to include all of AT&T's 5G commercial spectrum, according to a press release.  

PHOTOS: A Valley fire department on Monday launched a documentary that invites viewers on a nostalgic journey, chronicling the evolution of its department from its humble beginnings to its current stature. The 45-minute documentary, "Flash Point: The History of Peoria Fire-Medical Department," includes stories from current Fire Chief Gary Bernard and eight retired firefighters, who shared memories from their experience during the rise of the department. Throughout the video, the audience will hear about significant moments, including the origins of the volunteer program, changes in firefighting technology and mental health awareness. The film also features an interview from the city's last original volunteer fire chief, Jim Kosier.