STATter 911

(Updated 12:36 PM)

Firefighter charged with raping colleague. Victim given day off.

In St. Lucia, a 12-year veteran of the fire service is charged with raping a 19-year-old female firefighter. Despite being traumatized, the victim was expected back at work after just one day off. From HTS Channel 4:

Fire Chief Leslie Fontenelle says this is the first time a male officer has been charged with the rape of a female colleague since females were first inducted into the Fire Service over two-and-a-half decades ago. A twelve-year veteran was charged on Tuesday with the rape of a nineteen-year-old female officer. Leslie Fontenelle says fellow officers are still coming to grips with the news they first learnt on Tuesday morning. He says they are incensed with what happened to a member of the Fire Service family.

Police say the Fire Officer was arrested and charged with a rape on Tuesday. The Chief Fire Officer says the alleged victim remains traumatised – she was given the day off on Tuesday, but is expected back at work on Wednesday. He says there is separate sleeping quarters for women at the barrack room at Vigie. Fontenelle says there was no evidence of forced entry and thinks the door was left open. He says there will be no additional security measures implemented as a result of the incident.

Houston FF "takes a turn for the worse"

Those are the words of FF Brandon Everette's wife Irene. Everette, a five year veteran, was critically injured, suffering lung damage, in a January 21 fire where his mask became dislodged after a ceiling collapse. Read the story. IAFF Local 341 has note from Irene Everette.

A 99.99 percent accuracy rate

The Washington City Paper is looking at the claim by DC 911 center director Janice Quintana that her staff has a 99.99 percent accuracy rate. The article by Arthur Delaney is titled Q as in Cucumber and can be read here.

Talking with firefighters, Delaney has a list of incidents from 2006 and 2007 that question Quintana's accuracy. He also mentions the incident three years ago when Tony Carroll fell down the elevator shaft on Goodhope Road unaware that there had been an explosion in the building. It was something the first callers told the Office of Unified Communications, but was not relayed to firefighters. During his 7-month recovery, Tony went on TV with me and sounded the alarm about the way this call was handled and other similar issues.

STATter 911 has been waiting for OUC to answer a number of FOIA requests on some recent and not so recent calls.

Here are a couple of more incidents we have mentioned before that could be added to the City Paper's list:

December 19, 2007: The original dispatch for the fire in the Old Executive Office Building was for the 900 block of 17th Street, NW with a cross street of Connecticut Avenue. The building, since before any of us was born, has sat in the 600 block of 17th Street, NW with a cross street of Pennsylvania Avenue (right next to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW).

October 16, 2007: Read the account of the delayed alarm for a fire at 814 49th Street, NE on Engine 30,Truck 17's website.

February 27, 2007: It took at least 7 minutes for OUC to dispatch a box alarm assignment for Metro's Farragut North station. A photographer and I heard Metro call for the fire department on the DC radio system. We drove from Capitol Hill to Farragut North, stopping at all of the signals, before the dispatch was made.

January 31, 2007 (one year ago, today): OUC confirmed for 9NEWS NOW that it took ten minutes to dispatch another box alarm for Metro's Farragut North station.

PetSmart fire

Photo from Dwayne Clark from a 2-alarm fire that began around 11:30 AM at the PetSmart in the 6000 block of Oxon Hill Road, in Oxon Hill, MD. Prince George's County Fire/EMS spokesman Mark Brady says as of 12:30 PM, so far, all of the pets have survived.

MD apartment fire

Just before midnight, Montgomery County firefighters dealt with a garden-apartment fire in the 12,100 block of Georgia Avenue. Neighbors helped rescue a number of people including a young child. Seven people, including the child, were transported to the hospital. Watch the wusa9.com story.

Another DC multi-alarm fire

The picture above from DC Fire & EMS PIO Alan Etter of Wednesday afternoon's blaze in the 2700 block of Cathedral Avenue, NW. A second-alarm was called as fire began to spread from a row house that was being remodeled to an adjoining home. One worker had a laceration to the arm.

Familiar territory

I imagine that no apartment complex in Prince George's County, MD has had as many serious fires in the past year as Spring Hill Lake. The picture above is from PIO Mark Brady of Side C of the building after crews made a quick stop of this fire on Springhill Lane Wednesday evening. this went to a second-alarm. Investigators say it was started by an 8-year-old playing with matches.

One flake too many

Not sure where or exactly when.

SC apartment fire

A fire on Tuesday afternoon at a Greenville apartment complex. Fire officials say it started as a brush fire that spread to the building's vinyl siding. The video above is the response and some of the fire. Click here for Part 2 on the fireground. The story and more video, here.

Fireground audio Las Vegas

This is poor quality audio of some of the radio traffic from Friday's hotel and casino fire in Las Vegas.

Broken coupling

Not sure if this is old or new, but it was just posted in Live Leak.

(Updated at 7:05 PM)

Old video of the day: On 2:30 PM on October 20, 1944 in Cleveland, Ohio, the first in a series of explosions that killed 130 people and destroyed a square mile of the city's east side. It started with a leaking liquefied natural gas tank in the East Ohio Gas Company's tank farm. The film above shows the aftermath. Read more.

Prince William County, VA report

There has been great interest in the report released Saturday looking into the April, 2007 death of Technician I Kyle Wilson. Since it is STATter 911's local area, I have added a link to the reports and our coverage on the left side of the blog.

Two ambulance fires

In Columbus, Nebraska early this morning the call was a for a building fire at the Midwest Medical Transport Company. Inside firefighters found the engine compartment of one of the firm's ambulances burning. Read the article, here.

A little later in the day a fire broke out in a garage that houses ambulances for Wishard Memorial Hospital in Marion County, IN. Read the story.

On another ambulance topic, FireGeezer looks at the issue of stolen ambulances (he's had a long list lately).

Taking a closer look at a close call no one mentioned

A number of fire service websites reported yesterday about Monday's motel fire in Oklahoma City that injured one firefighter after a 4-inch hose burst. Steve Marshall, an alert STATter 911 reader, saw the video from KOCO-TV and spotted a close call no one mentioned. At 31 seconds into the video, just as the reporter on the scene tosses to the videotape, you will see a shot as water from a ladder pipe cuts through a wall and sends debris on to firefighters below.

Looking around the Internet I discovered a much clearer view of the same moment from NewsOK.com. It comes at 48 seconds in the video above. Apparently none of those firefighters were injured.

As for the hose bursting, KWTV-TV was rolling from its helicopter when that occurred. It comes at :58 in this video just before the chopper camera zooms in.

Firefighter who won Carnegie Hero medal wins comp case (for now)

I missed this when it was published on Friday, but it is an interesting issue worth reading about. Keith Leuci was recognized by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission for pulling a man trapped in a burning car to safety in August of August, 2004. Click here to read the description of the rescue (just type in Leuci's name). He also received a valor award from the Atlantic County Firefighters' Association.

At the time Keith Leuci was a member of the Cologne VFC in Hamilton Township (Atlantic County), NJ. Leuci was in his own vehicle when he happened upon the fiery crash in Egg Harbor Township. Leuci was injured during the rescue and applied for workers' comp benefits through both Hamilton Township and his fire department. The claim was denied because he was not officially on-duty and Egg Harbor had not requested mutual aid.

Keith Leuci says his injuries forced him to give up his remodeling business and move to a less expensive place (Tennessee). But he got some good news last week when a judge ruled in this favor. Here is an excerpt from The Press of Atlantic City:

Judge Cosmo Giovinazzi III ruled in Leuci's favor Thursday, said his attorney, Christopher Day.

The Cologne Fire Company and its insurer "took the position that instead of rescuing the person who was in the car, he should have gotten approval from the chief or somebody," said Day, who also represents The Press of Atlantic City. "There was about a 30- to 60-second window to save the individual, so his choice was to rescue the person or let him die."

"It's totally amazing we need a court to tell them the right thing to do," Day said. "I hope their family is never trapped in a vehicle when they need help."

Leuci, who lives in Tennessee, said he was driving to the airport Thursday afternoon for a trip back to New Jersey when Day called him with the news.

"I broke down in tears, I had to pull over," he said. "I'm hoping that, out of the kindness of their heart and, without being rude, common sense, prevails and(the insurance company) won't appeal it, so I can get back on my feet."

Jim Pietras, the lawyer representing the Cologne Fire Company, said Thursday evening he was unaware of Giovinazzi's ruling. After he receives a copy of the judge's decision, he will meet with his client and decide whether to appeal.

Day said an appeal is unlikely to succeed, as Giovinazzi is one of the most respected judges in the state.

Another hotel-casino fire

7-alarms were called on Tuesday to handle a relatively small but stubborn fire under the roof of the Great Cedar Hotel at Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut. Watch the story from WFSB-TV. Read the story.

Union and Topeka chief keeps on going

The latest chapter between Topeka Fire Chief Howard Giles and IAFF Local 83 is over transfers. The union says the transfers are retaliatory. The city says its to spread experience around for public safety. Read and watch the story.

Chief accused of threatening 2 volunteers scheduled for trial next week

The two former volunteers in Rollinsford, NH say the chief tried to hit them back in September after they didn't respond on a call. The pair claim they were following the chief's orders not to take calls while in a training class. Watch the story.

Old video of the day: More Chicago. This may be my favorite, a 1960s film called Fire Academy. Click the image to see it.

Links to VA LODD report

Since our story on the report into Kyle Wilson's death in Prince William County has been picked up by a few other sites, I wanted make sure you can easily find the links to the report and videos released on Saturday. Click here to see our coverage.

River of fire (or at least a stream)

In Sydney, Australia a truck fire caused a massive traffic jam this morning. FireGeezer has more details and links.

ALF Q & A

American LaFrance asks itself questions they think you might have about the bankruptcy filing. Firehouse.com has posted them.

Battle over paperwork

They've changed the locks and suspended the chief in Atwater, Ohio. The word is that volunteer firefighters failed to provide social security numbers and meet the requirements of the township's insurance carrier. But you get the impression from reading the article in the Record-Courier that there is a lot more to the story.

Parrot stars in the latest edition of our regular feature "Who ya gonna call?"

San Mateo, CA firefighters spent 90 minutes chasing down Cookie on Monday. The parrot kept flying away as ladder-bearing firefighters got close. In the end it was a successful rescue for another "all hazards" department. Read more.

MD barn fire

Short video from Monday evening's farm house fire on Marley Neck Rd. in Anne Arundel County.

Volunteer sets fire to radio station over music picks

Got your attention, but its not that kind of volunteer. This was a volunteer for a community radio station in Austin, TX. He didn't like the fact that his music playlist was changed from the jazz he loved. I'm also a jazz fan, but apparently not as passionate. Read the story.

Spain boat fires

From Puerto Banus on Sunday.

OK school fire

A vacant school burned on Sunday in Chickasha, OK. An 11-year-old boy is accused of setting the fire. Read more.

IN house fire

From around noon on Monday in Bethlehem, IN. Read more and see additional video.

NJ 2nd-alarm

From Friday in Newark. Click the image above to see it.

Put out a fire, be in a commercial

What appears to be a small fire at Honest Charley Speed Shop in Chattanooga, TN, brings out some good old fashion salesmanship.

(Updated at 8:17 PM)

Lessons learned

Click here to read coverage of the Prince William County report along with links to all of the documents and videos

As we first reported on Saturday an extensive report on the LODD of Prince William County's Kyle Wilson is out. The investigative report itself is 382 pages long and that is only one part of what was released. The fireground audio, animations, fireground videos and still pictures are part of a video timeline of the fire's early stages. Of course, the hardest part is listening to the two radio transmissions as Kyle Wilson calls for help.

In a way I am glad I listened to the audio before beginning the reading (I'm still going through it). It helped me keep in mind why the report is so important.

Bill Schumm at FireGeezer.com, a fire service veteran, calls the report "a model of how this type of inquiry should be done". Rhett Fleitz at VAFireNews.com is urging every firefighter to read it.

Chief Billy Goldfeder at FirefighterCloseCalls.com says Prince William County "is saving future lives by sharing their LODD Investigative report to honor Kyle, in an effort to reduce and prevent firefighter line of duty deaths at the local, region, state, and national levels."

An interesting question: Is the fire service doing enough to educate the public on providing information to arriving firefighters?

After reading our coverage of the Prince William County report, Sandy Ross sent me this email:

As the wife of a firefighter, I was so sad to hear the recordings of the fire that killed Kyle Wilson in Prince William County. It makes me sick that he died searching for occupants that, unknown to fire personnel, were across the street in a house. Why are we not teaching the public to let the fire department know when they are safely out of a house? We teach them to practice their evacuation route, and to stop, drop and roll - shouldn't we be teaching them to immediately get in contact with rescue personnel on the scene to let them know if anyone is still in the house? I have no doubt that they would have pulled personnel out of that house much sooner if they had known that the homeowners were safely across the street.

Any suggestions?

Here is what the report says about the occupants:

Several of the occupants exited the house from Side A and others from Side C. The occupants dressed in night time clothing sought shelter and gathered in an adjacent house and in a vehicle that was parked between the involved and adjacent house on Marsh Overlook Drive.

Mrs. Ross makes a good point. Is enough emphasis placed on educating the public that as vital as it is to let arriving firefighters know someone is trapped in a burning home, it is also extremely important to inform them when everyone is out?

Sussex, DE ambulance wreck (update)

Chuck Snyder photo for the News Journal via delawareonline.com

A Millsboro VFC ambulance and an SUV collided this morning. Initial reports from Chief Billy Goldfeder at FirefighterCloseCalls.com was that a paramedic had died. Chief Billy just provided this (12:10 PM) update:

We were initially advised (and confirmed twice) by officials that hospital staff had advised that the Paramedic in Sussex County had passed away, but now the good news and updated information is that the Paramedic is still alive. We will keep you advised. Please keep all in Delaware and especially Sussex County, the Paramedics family and all affected, in your prayers and hope for the best following this very positive news.

From a Sussex County EMS press release:

Millsboro VFC EMT Mercedes Berry was treated and released with minor injuries.

Millsboro VFC EMT Frank Deford is in serious condition.

Sussex County Paramedic III John Schmitt is in serious condition and has been admitted to ICU with possible head injuries.

Read the entire release

delmarvanow.com

WBOC-TV

WGMD-FM

American LaFrance files for bankruptcy protection

From Summerville, SC this morning, American LaFrance is seeking help with the bill collectors. The Post & Courier in Charleston reports the fire apparatus manufacturer filed under "Chapter 11". Read the story.

Raw video from 2 multi-alarm fires in DC

The picture above is part of a slide show on DCFD.com by DC Fire & EMS photographer Vito Maggiolo at Friday night's four-alarm fire in a vacant apartment building at 5408 1st Place, NW. DCFD.com also has some other picture compilations from the fire.

Freelance videographer and photographer Bob Pugh was also at the fire. He has provided STATter 911 with his raw video of the fire. The fire burned for a number hours. I have condensed Bob's video to about 10 minutes. While shots have been shortened and a few removed, it is all in chronological order. Bob's video starts with the interior attack of the fire. At bout 5:45 on the video, you will hear the sirens and air horns sounding as the order comes to evacuate the building.

Watch Bob Pugh's video of the 4-alarm fire at 5408 1st Place, NW

Sunday night, two-alarms were needed for a fire in the 3300 block of Martin Luther King Junior Avenue, SE. This one started as an exterior attack and there were severe exposure issues. 9NEWS NOW photographer Jeff Cridland was on the scene and we have his raw video.

Watch 9NEWS NOW's Jeff Cridland's video of the 2-alarm fire in the 3300 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE.

Shuttered fire station impacts ice rescue

In Weymouth, Massachusetts a special rescue boat, donated by a family who lost a loved one to drowning, sat in a closed fire station one-half mile from where it was needed early Sunday morning. The rescue, caught on tape, was ultimately a success. In his coverage, FireGeezer asks an interesting question.

Double the pleasure, double the fun

From Woodbury, Minnesota, it was decided the way to save money was to have police officers double as firefighters. Read the story.

Amazingly, not one police car was damaged

Yes, it is a cheap shot (sorry to my police friends). Video from a bus smashing into a doughnut shop in Los Angeles on Sunday morning.

Old video of the day: Weehawken, 61 years ago

A pier fire in Weehawken, NJ on January 9, 1947.

Water rescue from Los Angeles

Helicopter coverage of the Los Angeles City FD rescuing two woman on January 17.

Technician I Kyle Wilson in a Prince William County Department of Fire & Rescue photo

“I need water (inaudible) 512 bucket. I need water, I’m burning up in here, I need water fast!”

What are apparently the last words of Kyle Wilson. A radio transmission from the Prince William County, VA firefighter at approximately 6:19 AM on April 16, 2007. About four minutes earlier Technician Wilson had alerted his fellow firefighters that he was trapped, with these words: “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday, Tower 512 bucket, I’m trapped inside, I don’t know where I am, I’m somewhere in the stairwell, I need someone to come get me out.” By the time firefighters were able to get to Kyle Wilson it was too late.

View of burning home taken by neighbor prior to the arrival of the first fire units. Photo from the report.

A report released on Saturday by Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue Chief Kevin McGee lists the major factors leading to Wilson's death. They include two things that are beyond the department's control: the morning's high winds, with a peak gust of 48 mph reported at the time of Wilson's second radio transmission, and the lightweight construction of the single-family home.

But the report also cites factors that require improved training and a commitment of resources. They include: the size of the initial suppression force, size up, rapid intervention, incident control and management.

Review team

Chief McGee calls this "the most comprehensive after action analysis" in the department's history. This was also the first line-of-duty death in the department's 41-year history. The team responsible for the report included five people from Prince William County: Battalion Chief Jennie Collins, Battalion Chief Jerry Shepherd, Captain Rob Clemons, Captain Brian Cooke and Lieutenant Ramon Perez. They were joined by Division Chief Richie Bowers of the Montgomery County, MD Fire and Rescue Service and Battalion Chief Danny Gray from the Fairfax County, VA Department of Fire and Rescue.

In his cover letter Chief McGee cited the efforts of those who tried to save Kyle Wilson:

I recognize the many heroic efforts of the firefighters that placed themselves directly in harms way under intense and extremely dangerous conditions in their repeated attempts to rescue Technician I Wilson. These firefighters were willing to sacrifice their own lives to save Technician I Wilson, and I will always be grateful to them. We were fortunate that additional firefighters did not suffer injuries during the extreme fire conditions experienced in this incident. As Chief, I could not have asked for, nor expected, our personnel to have tried any harder or done more in their personal and physical expenditure of effort, energy, and attempts to rescue Technician I Wilson.

McGee was an assistant chief at the time of what is known as the "Marsh Overlook incident". He was appointed chief in September, 2007 after the retirement of Mary Beth Michos. Chief Michos retired last summer and now works for the IAFC.

Fireground issues and staffing

As with most after-action reports problems were identified in numerous areas, including the initial size-up due to no one performing a 360 of the structure, hose selection, RIT coordination and activities, and mayday procedures. It also makes very clear, at numerous points, the department has a significant staffing issue:

Current unit minimum qualified staffing levels provide an insufficient amount of personnel to perform all the necessary, concurrent critical tasks associated with firefighting activities.

In his cover Chief McGee said the department has already been addressing many of the issues.

Wilson followed mayday procedures

The report is inconclusive about exactly why Kyle Wilson was unable to self-rescue. It is something that will likely never be known. But in its discussion of mayday procedures the report points out, despite the conditions he faced, Kyle Wilson followed procedures:

Technician Wilson activated the EA button on his portable and broadcasted a clear, concise UCAN (Unit-Conditions-Actions-Needs) report. He identified his unit and riding position, advised he was trapped somewhere in the stairwell, and that he needed assistance. His actions initiating a mayday were consistent with procedures and firefighter survival training.

While rescue attempts were immediately initiated, radio transmissions indicate no one responded to or stayed in contact by radio with Technician Wilson:

There was no attempt by Command, OPSC, or any other fire ground personnel to establish direct radio communication with Technician Wilson to acknowledge his mayday transmission.

Here are the links to the 6 parts of the report. The LODD Death Report Video is a multi-media presentation that includes the radio transmissions mixed with still pictures, video and graphics of the fire modeling. It provides an audio-visual timeline of the conditions and some of the events during the initial stages of the fire. And a warning, it also includes Kyle Wilson's last words.

LODD Report Fact Sheet

LODD Investigative Report

LODD Report Presentation

LODD Report Basic House Model

LODD Report Death Video

LODD Death Report Fire Model

Excerpts from Fact Sheet

(These are highlighted recommendations for improvements)

• Staffing related:
o Increase the minimum staffing on all engine companies from three to four qualified firefighters.
o Increase the minimum staffing on all specialty pieces from four to five or six qualified firefighters and/or addressing the deployment of specialty unit crews on an incident scene.
o Increase the amount of resources that are dispatched and adopt a standard structure fire dispatch complement for all types of structures and address modifications to those resources during extreme environmental conditions.
o Perform a specialty unit resource allocation study.

• Training related:
o Address training needs related to:
− Operations in extreme environmental conditions and the adjustment of strategy and tactics in extreme environmental situations.
− Building construction methods, materials, and designs.
− Strategy and tactics, decision making, and institute structured officer development training.
o Ensure the Training Division has resources to develop, coordinate, and provide the needed training curriculums.

• Procedure related:
o Comprehensive review and revisions of all procedures.
o Address operational procedural changes for:
− Operations in environmental extremes.
− Rapid intervention practices.
− Different types of building construction methods, materials, and designs.
o Standardization of apparatus, equipment, and procedures.

• Communications related:
o Development of a standard method for communicating important weather related information to all personnel.
o Radio technology improvements.

Complete Executive Summary

This Line of Duty Death (LODD) Investigative Report is dedicated to Technician I Kyle Wilson, his parents Bob and Sue Wilson, his sister Kelli, his brother Chris, his fiancée Kristi, and his extended family and many friends. Kyle will never be forgotten and to honor his supreme sacrifice, the Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue commits to sharing our lessons learned in all aspects of this report within our department, system, region, and industry so that no other family or department suffer a similar tragic loss.

This report was developed with a multi-dimensional team approach. The objectives of the LODD Investigation Team were to examine the events that occurred at the Marsh Overlook fire incident and identify the factors involved with the line of duty death of Technician I Kyle Wilson. The Investigation Team has reviewed all available information at the time of publication and documented the factual findings, discussions, and recommendations in an effort to prevent another tragic outcome from occurring again.

Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) performed independent investigations of the Marsh Overlook fire incident. The Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue’s LODD Investigation Team’s report took a dissecting approach from every aspect which reaches beyond the scope of the VOSH or NIOSH reports. To prevent another tragic event, a critical self assessment of the organization was necessary. This report represents thousands of hours of effort to analyze fire and rescue operations and recommend needed improvements. These organizational improvements range in complexity and many will have budgetary impacts that will be impossible to achieve in a single fiscal year. However, the report provides a framework for improvements that when enacted will improve responder safety and elevate service delivery to the citizens and visitors of Prince William County.

The LODD Investigation Team had the advantage of examining this incident over a period of months. The team would spend days dissecting a single snapshot of time and considering what actions were taken and what the resulting impacts were. However, this is starkly contrasted by the actual incident the responding personnel faced on that fateful day. The Marsh Overlook incident was an immense fire fueled by extremely flammable building material products and a vicious wind. It was an environment where information gathering and decision making had to be performed in a time measurement of seconds. During the chain of events that occurred and under severe circumstances, fire and rescue personnel performed at exceptional levels. In an attempt to rescue Technician I Kyle Wilson, personnel displayed heroic efforts and jeopardized their own safety to try and reach their missing comrade.

The major factors in Technician Wilson’s line of duty death were determined to
be:
• Initial arriving fire suppression force
• Size up of fire development and spread
• High wind impact on fire development and spread
• Structure size, lightweight building construction and materials
• Rapid intervention and firefighter rescue efforts
• Incident control and management

The fire conditions that were present in the structure, the large size and lightweight building construction of the structure, the behavior of the fire impacted by the high wind environment, and the organizational preparation for and response to the incident were contributing factors in this tragic event. The weather conditions and construction features resulted in the rapid and catastrophic progression of fire conditions and the loss of integrity to the building. The conditions of the fire cannot be changed but this incident investigation shows organizational response to similar incidents can and should be improved. Resulting from this tragic incident and the dissecting analysis that followed, the Department will be improving numerous aspects of their operations centered on staffing, training, procedures, and communications.

We will never forget Kyle and by sharing our loss and knowledge unfortunately gained from our pain, we will ensure that he is not forgotten nor will his sacrifice have been in vain.

To Technician I Kyle Wilson, may you rest in peace. May your family, both immediate and fire and rescue, also find peace.

(Updated at 2:59 PM, Saturday)

Video of the day: This is raw video of a house fire in Austin, TX on January 17. It is in the West Campus area at the University of Texas. The students who live next door to the burning home began the recording before the first firefighters arrived. The electrical service is arcing and the home is well off. Read more and see additional video, here.

FF crashes SUV into station

In Syracuse, NY a medical condition is being blamed for a firefighter crashing his SUV into the firehouse. This happened as the firefighter was leaving work Saturday morning. The station was heavily damaged and the firefighter was conscious and apparently uninjured by the crash when medics got to him. Read more from WSYR.com.

Another multi-alarm blaze for DC

Master streams in play as the DC Fire & EMS Department dealt with heavy fire conditions in a large 2-story apartment building. The location is the 5400 block of 1st Street, NW. The fire was reported around 10:30 PM Friday.

Report on Technician Kyle Wilson's death to be released on Saturday

At 2:00 PM on Saturday, we will finally know more about the LODD 9-months ago of Prince William County's Kyle Wilson. Here is the announcement of the briefing for reporters:

The Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue will hold a media briefing, during which Fire and Rescue Chief Kevin McGee will review the report recently completed by the Department for the line of duty death of Technician Kyle Wilson. Wilson died on April 16,2007, while fighting a fire in Woodbridge. This is the first line-of-duty fatality in the 41-year history of the Department.

Volunteer suing over firing by employer for being late

Maine has a law passed in 2005 aimed at protecting volunteers who are late or miss work because of a fire emergency. What may be the first test of that law is underway with a lawsuit filed by Clinton volunteer Katherine Billings. Billings was fired in February, 2007 after failing to report to work at a nonprofit corporation following an overnight fire. Click here for the story.

Hotel fire on Las Vegas strip. Large fire on roof and upper floors of Monte Carlo now out. Almost entirely exterior fire fought from the interior. Full coverage below.

Watch 10 minutes of raw helicopter video from KLAS-TV via wusa9.com

Click here for KTNV-TV live coverage of a fire in the Monte Carlo Hotel & Casino. Looks like fire along two wings of the massive complex. Fire has consumed a large part of the roof area and portions of the upper floors.

The AP picture above was taken earlier. Since this image was shot the fire spread most of the way down the wing on the right of the picture (these are two of three wings of the hotel, the third wing does not appear to be involved) and dropped down to lower floors on that wing (see Las Vegas Sun photo below, probably taken about a little more than an hour after it began).

Fire is reported to have started on the roof or penthouse area of the building and in spots dropping down at least 5 floors below (appears to be about a 30 story hotel ... website says more than 3000 rooms ... when it was built it was the world's 7th largest hotel). An interior attack has been underway with much of the fire being extinguished by leaning out windows on the upper floors with hose lines. The bulk of the fire appears to be traveling along the exterior of the building. Speculation on TV is that this is a stucco and foam exterior.

As of 3:00 PM most of the fire appears to have been knocked except at either end of the burned portions. Looking at live coverage on CNN you can still see fire on the top floor at the far edge of the burned area on the wing to the right.

No injuries reported, but there is concern on the news coverage about the whereabouts of some workers. CNN reporting there had been welders working on the roof.

Las Vegas Sun confirms it is a 32-story hotel. The fire began around 11:00 AM Las Vegas time and is at 3-alarms. As of 12:23 PM it was reported contained. More here.

Around 3:30 PM Clark County Fire Chief Steven Smith confirms this was almost entirely an exterior fire. No injuries and no one trapped. There had been welders working on the roof, but the cause is under investigation. A hotel spokesperson says anything above the top row of windows is a facade with no rooms behind it.

KVBC-TV coverage including early video

KTNV-TV story and earlier coverage

As most of you know this is a completely different story than the largest fire disaster to hit Las Vegas. That, of course, was the MGM Grand fire (both the current MGM Grand and the Monte Carlo are owned by MGM Mirage) of November, 1980 that killed 87 people and injured almost 800. Watch below.

3 New York FFs injured in house fire

Just after noon 3 FDNY members were injured battling a 2-alarm house fire in Elmhurst, Queens. At least two of the injured were taken to the burn unit at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Burn Center. It happened on Gorsline Street. Civilians have also been injured in this fire. WABC-TV has details.

New York State Fire Wire already has the fireground audio on this one.

2-alarms in Scranton

Decent video, still images and a running account of a fire in a building under renovation in downtown Scranton, PA. All of it is here from the Tines-Tribune.

FF on disability leave praised for rescue, but the mayor says he should have stopped there

Sean Curley is a hero for twice removing a woman from her burning home on Monday. The Johnson City, NY firefighter's disability retirement is pending. Mayor Harry Lewis praised Curley for taking action after driving by and spotting the fire. After the rescue, Curley apparently grabbed gear from his car and starting fighting the fire. That's where the mayor and other city officials draw the line. Read more.

The last time the Johnson City Fire Department received a lot of press attention was when its assistant chief decided to pay a visit to a firehouse dressed very, very casually.

Things are not peachy for FDNY in Georgia

Other than the FDNY Emrald Society's Pipes and Drums, New York City firefighters are not welcome in Savannah's St. Patrick's Day Parade. Citing "drunken misbehavior" at past parades, FDNY members are not getting any Southern hospitality this year. Here's the story.

Fire lieutenant/arsonist sentenced reduced for being a model prisoner

A Tribune columnist says Jeffrey "Matches" Boyle is out of prison way too soon. The former Chicago Fire Department lieutenant set eight fires, including one in a Catholic school. Boyle served one year and 9 months of a 6-year sentence. John Kass looks at how Boyle was promoted and his family's political and criminal history. Read more.

For women and minorities only

97 percent of the members of a UK fire brigade are white males. To correct that problem the Avon Fire Service is doing some recruiting. But, "Only women and people from ethnic minorities are allowed to attend four of the five open days being held by Avon Fire Service to attract new recruits". Now there is a claim of discrimination. Read the Telegraph's story.

Brief FF's strike

As we first told you yesterday, firefighters in Sydney, Australia had a two-hour strike today (leaving behind skeleton crews at the station). FireGeezer has the update.

And we posted this for everyone to see?

It takes all of the fun out of being an investigative reporter when the people pose for these videos and then allow them to be posted on the Internet. Chief Billy Goldfeder and The Secret List gave us the heads-up on these two videos. I don't know how I missed them.

Over at Firefighter Spot they are taking a poll on what you think of the videos.

Oil transfer station fire

3 people were injured during a fire at an oil transfer station fire in Gilcrest, CO. Watch the story from KUSA-TV. See the slide show. Read the story.

Omaha FF talks about fall through floor

A basement fire in Omaha, NE led to a close call for one firefighter. Kevin Mandina says the floor felt spongy and the next thing he knew he was falling through. FF Mandina's shoulders didn't make it into the hole and other firefighters pulled him out as flames attacked him from below. He was uninjured. The firefighter tells his story to KETV-TV.

(Updated at 7:59 PM)

Old video of the day: Our vintage films have been Chicago oriented because of a bunch of recent postings of videos to YouTube. This one is a 5-11 with specials on District Boulevard on May 27, 1973.

FFs two hour strike

In Sydney, Australia firefighters have called for a brief strike. Here is the story from The Sydney Morning Herald:

Firefighters across Sydney have called a snap two-hour stopwork from midday Friday.

The NSW Fire Brigade Employees Union says the strike follows the state government's repeated demand for firefighters to accept the new award bargaining round.

Union secretary Simon Flynn says the government is effectively asking firefighters to take a pay cut.

"Michael Costa has forced firefighters to take this action by demanding that any pay rise above 2.5 per cent is funded by cuts to our conditions," Mr Flynn said in statement.

"Michael Costa's pigheadedness is putting the safety of the community at risk as only skeleton crews will be available to respond to fire calls for this time (midday to 2pm) in Sydney.

"Firefighters are disgusted that politicians enjoyed a 6.7 per cent pay rise without trading away any of their lavish perks.

"Costa continues to insist that firefighters and other public servants must tighten their belts at a time when working families are finding the cost of food and other necessities harder and harder to meet."

Mr Flynn said the NSW government has predicted a surplus of more than half a billion dollars and could afford a pay rise that matches cost of living increases.

He said firefighters would congregate with their fire trucks at the corner of Pottinger Street and Hickson Road at 1pm.

Houston firefighter on life support

TV Station KPRC is reporting that Firefighter Brandon Everett is on life support. Firefighter Everett, 26, was critically injured during a house fire on Monday. Reports are his face piece dislodged when he was hit by part of the ceiling. Read the story. The Secret List.

Mayday in Chicago

A TV station reports a Chicago firefighter called a "mayday" around 6:00 AM at a house fire on the South Side. The firefighter was reported to be temporarily trapped on the second floor and was removed through a window. The firefighter was said to be conscious during the incident. Read the story. Watch video of live coverage during "mayday" (picture is very dark).

Here is a better video from another TV station.

The Chicago Sun-Times has more:

The blaze was elevated to a second-alarm when a mayday was called for a firefighter trapped in the building, Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford said.

“The firefighter became disoriented, but was able to get to a window,” Langford said. “It happens sometimes in a fire.”

Another photographer arrested

A Herald-News photographer in Paterson, NJ, who says police kept her a block and a half from a house fire, and watched the public being allowed to pass in front of her, was arrested on Tuesday. Here are excerpts from The Record:

A lawyer for North Jersey Media Group, which publishes the Herald News and The Record, vowed to fight the charge.

"There's no wrongdoing on the photographer's part, and we're going to vigorously defend her," said Dina Sforza, corporate counsel.

In his complaint-summons, Officer Eddy Pichardo wrote that he arrested Barbaro after she allegedly disregarded his instructions not to cross what he referred to as "crime scene tape."

Pichardo wrote, "The area in question was the scene of a house fire which was not yet cleared to the general public by the Fire Department."

A photograph taken by Barbaro immediately before her arrest shows Pichardo blocking her while two pedestrians were walking behind him on Sassafras Street in the direction of the fire.

Here is the Herald News story

Fire station burns

The fire station in Paulette, TN burned Tuesday morning. Read the story on Firehouse.com. Watch the video.

NJ warehouse fire

3-alarms in Perth Amboy for a warehouse fire early this morning. More video here. Read the story.

Utah fire

A 4-alarm fire destroyed a vacant building that once housed a night club in Salt Lake City Wednesday night. FireGeezer has more links.

Old arms factory fire

In Bridgeport, CT a suspicious 3-alarm fire Wednesday at the abandoned Remington Arms factory. Read details.

Paint factory burns

At least 10 people have been hurt in a paint factory fire in Karachi, Pakistan today. Read the story. Watch more clips.

Sex scandal in Anne Arundel

As we first told you late yesterday, the Anne Arundel County Fire Department is being sued over allegations that the now-dead president of the Odenton Volunteer Fire Company molested two teen members. They claim that higher-ups at both the county and company level failed to act when told of the problem. The president committed suicide after being arrested with a male prostitute. Read the story.

Women rising in MD

Also in Anne Arundel County, Michele DeLalla is the first woman to became a division chief. Click here to read the story.

In Prince George's County, checking with some other PGFD old timers, the best we can tell is that Kathryn Fortgang is the first woman to be a volunteer chief in the county. She was recently elected by the members of the Accokeek VFD (Station 824). There have been female assistant and deputy chiefs, but apparently no chiefs until now (I am sure if our memories are faulty, someone will quickly correct us).

Chief Kathryn Fortgang from accokeekvfd.com

Rhode Island fire in historic carriage house

A fire late Wednesday night at an historic building in Newport went to 3-alarms. Watch the story. Read the story.

Houston FF wins his second lawsuit

Charles Julian first beat the Houston Fire Department in court over being passed over for promotion because at age 56 he was too old. Now he has won a second suit for retaliation, age and race discrimination after being demoted from the promotion he got after winning the first suit. More details.

More comments on seat belts

We are still getting comments about the seat belt and door issues with the case of the firefighter who fell off the fire engine in Bladensburg, MD. Check it out.

Catching up

A few things from some local fires that we haven't been able to get to until know. DCFD.com has three good photo gallery's you should see. From the tire fire in Northeast there are pictures from both Jarrid Gaston and Vito Maggiolo. DC Fire & EMS Department's photographer Maggiolo also has some images from the strip club fire on Wisconsin Avenue, NW.

The Accokeek VFD has pictures from the latest arson just down the street from the fire house.

Worcester, MA 3rd-alarm

A fire early Wednesday morning started in a vacant building and spread to two others. Details and more video, here.

IN fire

No date for this house fire on Ash Street in Hobart, Indiana.

Helmet-cam on NJ 3rd-alarm

This is from Monday's fire on Wright Street in Newark.

New Zealand garage fire

Good quality video from Wainuiomata, New Zealand on Wednesday.

Bicyclist rescued

In Portland, Oregon firefighters rescue a woman who drove her bike down a ravine in a cemetery.

Who you gonna call? ... the latest chapter

In Salem, CT it was the fire department to the rescue to save this deer on an icy pond Tuesday morning. Read more.

(Updated at 5:19 PM with Anne Arundel story)

Video of the day: It is not often we get good quality interior pictures. Most are of the lop-sided helmet-cam style. This one has veteran fire photographer Bill Bennett behind the lens during a storage company fire on Saturday in Island Park, NY, a village in Long Island's Nassau County. Quite an interesting view.

Sex abuse claim at MD firehouse involving now-dead president

The Capital newspaper is reporting two former volunteer firefighters are suing Anne Arundel County, "claiming they were molested by a now-dead company president while they were teenagers". The two men also say the information about the Odenton VFD was brought to the attention of the top brass of the Anne Arundel County Fire Department, who turned them away saying it was a company matter. The two were 16 and 19-years-old in when the abuse is alleged to have occurred.

The suit claims that Louis A. D'Camera sexually assaulted the teenagers, forced them to strip naked and sit on his lap. D'Camera killed himself in 2005 after police caught him with a male prostitute.

An Anne Arundel County Fire Department spokesman says the department would not turn a blind eye to sex allegations. The paper could not get a comment from the Odenton VFD.

Read the story.

Firefighter killed in Scotland

46-year-old John Noble from the Alloa Fire Station died after a crash in Clackmannanshire. The Alloa appliance was responding to an emergency call when it left the road. Four others were injured. The BBC reports:

Mr Noble, who was based in Alloa, had recently returned from a two-week intensive urban search and rescue course in Texas.

He was one of only 22 firefighters in the UK certified as structural collapse technicians following the course.

Fire engine driver and truck driver both at fault in wreck

The Florida Highway patrol says a Jacksonville Fire Department engineer is at fault in a January 3 wreck that injured four firefighters. The FHP says the driver of the truck the fire engine collided with is also at fault, so no charges are being placed in this accident. Rookie firefighter Shawn Hall is still undergoing rehabilitation because of injuries received in that crash. Read the story.

No seat belts plus door problems

Our story yesterday that confirming that a Prince George's County, MD firefighter who fell off an engine was unbelted, along with continuing door handle problems on the rig, has ignited a lively discussion in our comments section. Click here to see the story or provide your view.

Suicide by firefighter

The image above from WGAL-TV's website from a fire early Tuesday morning in Springettsbury Township in York County, PA. The TV station reports it is the second time in less than a year someone attempting suicide has started a fire in this complex. There was a very similar situation two weekends ago in Fairfax County, VA.

Watch raw video from the fire

Read the story

Student journalists use fire code to rid school of secret cameras

After learning what looked like smoke detectors at their high school were actually hidden cameras to prevent theft and vandalism, two student journalists consulted the fire code. This line in the code caught their eye: “any device or object that reasonably appears to be a smoke detector … [that is] neither designed nor capable of performing such life safety or fire prevention function shall be prohibited.”

Read how this is all playing out in Newton, MA.

Pipeline explosion

In Rapid City, SD an explosion at the Rocky Mountain Pipeline Terminal on Tuesday.

Orlando fire

Not much information other than it involves Station 2.

Mississippi video

Jackson Fire Department vacant house fire on November 8, 2007.

Old video of the day

This is from March 25, 1990 in Puyallup, WA.

It pays to advertise

This is quite a video. It is the Davao Volunteer Fire Brigade in action recently at a roaring apartment fire in the Philippines. First of all, you are not going to miss that they are volunteer. Just look at the windshield. You are not going to miss their rigs. They are a shade of green that makes them very easy to spot. So the visibility is there. Apparently that is why there is a large advertising banner hanging on the side of one the trucks touting some sort of grand opening that will serve Coca Cola.

The Bladensburg Volunteer Fire Department (PGFD Station 809) admits its firefighter was not wearing a seat belt when he fell from a fire engine on Monday. At the same time, on its website, Bladensburg brings up mechanical concerns about the door on the Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department's reserve engine. Today, a PGFD spokesman confirms there are known problems with the design of the door.

The volunteer firefighter, Ryan Raneiri, was treated and released at Prince George's Hospital Center after falling off Engine 809. Raneiri was part of a 5-person crew enroute to a reported first-due apartment fire on Monday afternoon. PGFD spokesman Mark Brady says the fire engine was negotiating the turn from Edmonston Road onto Route 450 when the firefighter fell off the piece. The location is just down the street from Station 809. Brady says no other vehicles were involved. The incident happened at 1:30 PM.

On the Bladensburg VFD website the department writes, "(the incident) does bear witness and proof as to why seat belts must be worn". Bladensburg also notes "this is not the first time firefighters have fallen from this type, make and model fire truck in Prince George’s County".

The engine involved is a 1989 Seagrave normally operated by Station 822. Spokesman Mark Brady says the vehicle was inspected this morning and problems were noted that would allow the door to open when it shouldn't. In an email to STATter 911, Brady writes:

On this particular unit and the majority of our similar units the interior door latches are designed to open the door when the lever is pulled upward. There is a stop on the lever to prevent the lever from going down. However, if lever is overpowered in the down position it will break the stop and permit the door to open from the inside by pulling the lever up or pushing it down. The unit was inspected this morning and found that both rear cab doors would open by pushing the lever down. This situation will be corrected prior to it going back in service.

Brady also confirms this is not the first time this problem has been discovered:

Following a similar incident with Fire/EMS Station 807, the Safety Office conducted a survey to determine if there were any other vehicles with a similar issue. Those units were identified and corrected at that time. Apparently, it does not take a lot of effort to over ride the lever stop in the down position and any unit that is found to have this condition is repaired as soon as possible by Apparatus Maintenance. The Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department will never "ignore" a safety issue that is brought to our attention, rather, any and all safety issues will be addressed as soon as being identified.

Brady reports the inspection found no problems with the seat belts.

Entire response from PGFD Chief Spokesman Mark Brady:

Dave: As soon as the incident occurred on Monday a "Safety Review" was put into motion. These Safety Reviews are standard procedure after injuries and significant crashes. The engine that Fire/EMS Station #809 was using was a 1989 Seagrave, normally assigned to Fire/EMS Station #822.

On this particular unit and the majority of our similar units the interior door latches are designed to open the door when the lever is pulled upward. There is a stop on the lever to prevent the lever from going down. However, if lever is overpowered in the down position it will break the stop and permit the door to open from the inside by pulling the lever up or pushing it down. The unit was inspected this morning and found that both rear cab doors would open by pushing the lever down. This situation will be corrected prior to it going back in service.

We could not find any issue with the seat belts. They are operating normal.

Following a similar incident with Fire/EMS Station 807, the Safety Office conducted a survey to determine if there were any other vehicles with a similar issue. Those units were identified and corrected at that time. Apparently, it does not take a lot of effort to over ride the lever stop in the down position and any unit that is found to have this condition is repaired as soon as possible by Apparatus Maintenance. The Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department will never "ignore" a safety issue that is brought to our attention, rather, any and all safety issues will be addressed as soon as being identified.

As far as any other circumstances regarding the incident on Sunday, they remain under review by the Safety Office.

Additionally, I would like to provide you a recent Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department Newsletter in PDF format. Please take the time to open the document and read the articles on the Fire Service Seat Belt Pledge. Thank you for posting this important information for all in the Fire/EMS Service to read and to pledge and sign-up.

Here is Bladensburg VFD's full account of the incident:

At approximately 1330 hours today Engine 809 (Prince George’s County Reserve Engine 222), having just cleared a non-emergency public service call was dispatched, along with the box assignment for a first due reported apartment building on fire at 5461 Madison Way. Supplemental message via radio was that there were smoke conditions in the hallway preventing escape with a female occupant who could not breathe and was going to jump from the 2nd floor.

Engine 809, responding from the previous call made a left turn onto Annapolis Road off of Edmonston Road. In the process of this turn the crew door on the officer side of the apparatus came open and Fire Fighter R. Raneiri fell from the apparatus landing on the street. The remaining crew instantly notified the Officer and Driver who brought the apparatus to an immediate stop and all went to render aid. F. F. Raneiri crawled to the curb and sidewalk to keep from getting hit by the remaining impatient drivers. He was boarded and collared for transport to PG Hospital Trauma Center where he was treated and released, with no serious injuries, within two hours. Ryan is home resting well at this time, a little sore and bruised but in good spirits.

We are very fortunate this time but it does bear witness and proof as to why seat belts must be worn. This is not the first time firefighters have fallen from this type make and model fire truck in Prince George’s County. Although repair orders were issued in years previous malfunctions can still occur, thereby reminding all to exercise caution and safety regulations at all times.

Bladensburg would like to extend our heart felt “Thank You” to all personnel (22, 28, 33, 14 and numerous others) who responded, filled in or called to check our well being and that of brother Raneiri. Your thoughts and words are greatly appreciated.

Click here for today's fire/EMS news from STATter 911

(Updated at 11:13 AM, added New Jersey, Indiana & Michigan fires)

Old video of the day: Another one from Chicago. This is the 1940s. Here's the caption for a Very Classic C.F.D. Part 1 - "Video of Engine Co's. 37 & 41 and other misc. apparatus drilling. Also video of the old 27th Batt. w/ Engine 70, Trk. 47 and Engine 102 w/ Trk. 25 drilling". Click the image above to see it.

2-alarm fire at DC strip club

Overnight, DC Fire & EMS needed 2-alarms to handle a fire at JPs Nightclub in the 2400 block of Wisconsin Avenue, NW. Multiple master streams once again for fire through the roof of the building. You may recall that a few months ago there was a fire across the street at the other strip club in the block, Good Guys. In that case a disgruntled customer threw gasoline in the clubs entrance and ignited it, critically burning a manager who tried to stop the man.

Both businesses have long been targets of neighbors in the Glover Park community who would like to see the clubs closed.

In today's fire, PIO Alan Etter says there was smoke and no visible fire when firefighters first entered the club around 3:30 AM. Simultaneously the crew from Truck 12 raised a ladder to the roof to remove the club's manager who became trapped above the fire. He was safely removed and the fire at some point took off. There were heavy fire conditions on all floors and through the roof. A laundromat on exposure D has also been damaged.

Watch 9NEWS NOW 6:30 AM report

Latest on DC 3-alarm tire shop fire

The picture above was taken when DC Fire & EMS Chief Dennis Rubin and PIO Alan Etter took a ride in a helicopter to survey the scene at Monday's fire at a tire shop in the Trinidad neighborhood. It took extensive evening foam operations to get a handle on the burning tires. We have a lot more pictures, reports from the scene and raw video. Click here.

MD VFD says seat belts weren't worn and cites apparatus issues in FF falling off engine

A volunteer firefighter with Prince George's Fire/EMS Department's Station 809 (Bladensburg VFD) was released from the hospital a few hours after falling off a fire engine on the way to a reported apartment fire. The Bladensburg VFD website points out this is why "seat belts must be worn". Bladensburg also suggests problems with the PGFD reserve engine they were using. More details and video of the scene can be found here.

Pictures, more video and links from Lawrence, MA, along with talks of FD cutbacks

The picture above is from Jimmy Daly. We have many more like this one, along with raw video and links for Monday's fire in Lawrence, MA. Click here.

At the same time arson appears to be on the rise in Lawrence, there have been talks of cutbacks in the fire department. Threats that as many as 20 firefighters and two of the city's six engine companies could go depending on how a property tax battle is resolved. FireGeezer is on the case.

Heavy rescue

In Gladwin, MI it took ten firefighters and a hole in the wall to rescue a 600 to 700 pound man from a fire. They had to take him out mattress and all, but they did it. Read the story.

NJ 3rd-alarm

Yesterday in Newark. Read more.

Indiana fire

No details for this fire reported to be on High School Road and Route 36.

More fireman funnies, we think

Don't know where. Don't know when. Don't know why. This one had the title "Bored Firefighters".

Above, 8 minutes of raw video. Collapses occur at 4:55 and 6:04.

It is being called the largest fire to hit Lawrence, MA since 1995. 7-alarms were sounded early Monday morning. In the early 90's Lawrence had the dubious distinction of being the fire capitol of New England. With the number of vacant buildings rising, there is concern that history will repeat itself.

The Eagle-Tribune has extensive coverage including a look at some major fires of the past. Click here.

Above, video of a collapse during Monday's 7-alarm fire in Lawrence, MA.

Below, pictures of the fire courtesy of Jimmy Daly. Thanks Jimmy.