VIDEO: The Amarillo Fire Department announced that its Wildland Team received a new Utility Task Vehicle (UTV) and trailer on Tuesday afternoon through a partnership between Amarillo National Bank and The 100 Club of the Texas Panhandle. Fire department officials noted that the UTV and trailer are a "much-needed asset" for firefighters and paramedics, who will be able to use it to extract patients from remote locations during wildfires and other emergency situations. According to department officials, the total cost of the donation was $50,000 and was split between ANB and The 100 Club through the partnership. "We are grateful for their generosity," noted Amarillo Fire Department Community Liaison Jeff Justus, "While recovery from wildfires is crucial, getting prepared for them is just as important."  

The Wichita Falls Fire Department was called to a house fire early Wednesday morning that resulted in over $40,000 in damages. The fire started around 12:18 a.m. on May 1 at a residence on the 2000 block of 11th street. When fire units arrived, firefighters saw heavy fire on the front of the house and executed what are called "quick attack" and "protected exposures." WFFD estimates that the house structure saw around $30,000 in damage, and the contents of the house saw around $3,000. Houses on both sides of the structure received damage during the incident totaling $5,000 for each home. Staff with Oncor were on the scene to remove power. This fire and its causes are still under investigation.  

Travis County leaders along with emergency services district personnel discussed Tuesday some of the risks and preventative measures underway ahead of the 2024 wildfire season. Blake Clampffer, chief deputy emergency management coordinator with Travis County's Office of Emergency Management, said Tuesday the state of Texas has seen an increased loss of homes, businesses and property in recent years due to wildfires. None, however, have compared to the volume of loss seen in 2011, which included fires in Austin's Oak Hill neighborhood, Pedernales Bend, Steiner Ranch, Bastrop and Pflugerville. For emergency personnel in Travis County, it's not a matter of an eastern county versus western county issue, but a threat based on occurrence, probability, intensity and impact.  

VIDEO: Fire crews had to put out flames Tuesday morning after an 18-wheeler caught fire in Garza County. The fire started over the county line on Highway 84 near County Road 115 after 5:30 a.m. Garza County Sheriff Terry Morgan reports the semi had a blowout on its trailer, causing the wheels to overheat. That started the fire, which eventually started setting off ammunition that was inside the truck. Crews managed to separate the semi from the trailer before the flames reached the cab. Sheriff Morgan says, no one was hurt.  

A person was rescued after their car fell over the side of a cliff on the Angeles Crest Highway in La Cañada Flintridge on Tuesday morning. Los Angeles County firefighters along with personnel from the Montrose Search & Rescue Team responded to Angeles Crest Hwy near mile marker 32 around 6:30 a.m. for a sole vehicle accident. Officials say the car was over 500 feet down the mountainside. From a helicopter, L.A. County Fire hoisted one paramedic and a few firefighters to the car while their ground units started in with a litter. According to Monstrose Search & Rescue, as ground crews neared the car, the victim was freed. They were airlifted to a local hospital. Their condition is not known. A witness told CHP the accident happened after two cars tried to merge into the same lane.  

VIDEO: First responders become victims of a drive-by shooting in Shreveport. The personnel are okay and were not injured. Despite being shaken, they quickly rushed back into action. Stray bullets struck an innocent bystander and a fire station on Monday night. Police said two vehicles were driving down David Raines and Martin Luther King Drive, shooting at each other or outside their vehicles. A stray bullet hit a person in the leg who was getting off the bus. Bullets also hit Fire Station 6, breaking a window while firefighters were working inside. "One of our youngest firefighters is a 22-year-old female who was sitting on a bench in our engine room, which is right next to the bedroom. All took cover. No one was injured. But it does take a mental toll on our firefighters," said Chief Clarence Reese, Shreveport Fire Department.  

VIDEO: The Rapid City Fire Department announced the opening of its new state-of-the-art training tower with the hopes of training the best firefighters statewide. The Rapid City Fire Department's new five-story training tower was unveiled Tuesday. The facility is only the second live fire training tower West River other than Ellsworth Air Force Base and will allow for more complete and efficient training to be done whenever firefighters need it. "From the day you get on to the job to the day you get off training is imperative. It's the number one thing that we do on a day-to-day basis. Not just sitting around a computer learning things from others, but being able to train each other and hone our skills both physically and mentally at this tower are going to be a game changer," Rapid City firefighter Nick Knotek said.