My daddy is a hero once again. A new day will soon begin. He saved another life. Today he showed his bravery, he went into a burning building. With all the smoke detectors ringing. Angry fire roaring out the windows, the fire his only foe. The smoke following it. The roof caving in, the floor falling away, but he went in anyway. He and his crew, trying their best to extinguish this colored monster and her witches brew. The fire creeping upon new places to consume. The only peaceful light come... Read Full Story

I am the chief of the North Hopkins vol. fire dept. Around 10 AM we were toned to a fatality head on collision, where a grain truck and an armored car collided. Sadly the driver of the armored car and the 18 wheeler had the same idea at the same time, which was to hit the shoulder of the road. The force was so intense it completely took the cab off of the chassis of the armored car. Unfortunately, the passenger in the wheeler was killed. The driver of the 18 wheeler had cuts and bruises bu... Read Full Story

I believe that by talking about this story it will help me because it is something that has been on my heart for some time. I am a 28-year old black volunteer fire chief in Texas. I started my firefighting career as a junior firefighter when I was 13. I am both a paid and volunteer firefighter. Here is my story. I was a volunteer fire lieutenant for this little town near Austin. As the Lieutenant of Co.2, I had a few responsibilities, but the one I loved the most was teaching fellow membe... Read Full Story

1935 Response from the US Forest Service to a proposal to parachute firefighters into forest fires- “I will remind you that you wrote some time ago about J.B. Bruce’s scheme of dropping men from airplanes for firefighting. I am willing to take a chance on most any kind of a proposition that promises better action on fires, but I hesitate very much to go into the kind of thing that Bruce proposes. In the first place, the best information I can get from experienced fliers is that all parachute ... Read Full Story

Earl Cooley knew that the very thought of leaping from airplanes into raging forest fires kept others awake at night. But not him. “I don’t know why, but I am never afraid to jump” On July 12, 1940, in a new Forest Service program, Mr. Cooley became one of the first two men to parachute from a plane to fight a forest fire. On his first jump he landed on the top branches of a spruce tree. Mr. Cooley died at 98 in Missoula, Montana. (From a NY Times Obituary) Read Full Story

One of our mutual aid companies had a structure fire, we were the second truck company. Upon arrival, the first-in attack crew from the other company had an interesting encounter. They made entry and found that the house was being used as a barn. There were rabbits snakes, ferrets, birds and a few goats. The main fire was on the second floor so they headed upstairs. Upon entry into the fire room, the pipe man was charged by a 250+ lbs pot belly pig. Needless to say, they backed out to regro... Read Full Story

When I was 5, I went on vacation with my family to Yellowstone National Park in 1988. As we were leaving to go home, we saw smoke from the road. Not knowing that it was a fire in the park itself, my family and I continued home. When we got home we found out that what we saw was the beginning stage of that horrible fire that destroyed so much of Yellowstone. I will never forget the way that I felt, even as a little girl. Watching the news about that fire and those firefighters. It made... Read Full Story

The color guard from Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2 will lead a procession in Cherry, Illinois to commemorate a 1909 blaze in a mine The disaster garnered national attention and was so shocking that it pushed state officials to enact a workers’ compensation law for death or injury on the job. The federal government also passed mining regulations. According to reports, the fire started when the mine’s electricity went out. The mine switched to torches and lanterns. The work w... Read Full Story

Riley might appear to be a great family pet — a cuddly, well-mannered yellow Labrador that follows commands and has boundless energy. But to local fire officials and his handler, Firefighter Eric Gray of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, the 70-pound pooch is the latest addition to their search-and-rescue toolbox. “This dog is effectively a tool just like anything else,” Gray said. “His whole job in life is to go places where we as rescuers and firefighters can’t get to.” With a nose ... Read Full Story

A few years ago, I was part of the Elbridge VFD in centeral New York. I had just gotten home from work - it was about 9 or 10pm. We had a home scanner on and I was about to eat when I heard a call go out for a trailer fire, fully involved. possible people trapped. It was in the trailer park I lived in at the time, the next row across the street from my home. Being a firefighter, I ran right over. There was me and two others. One of the daughters that lived there said her sisters were still in... Read Full Story