Southern Alaska begins to see slightly warmer weather with partly cloudy skies as temperatures gradually rise. Fire activity remains low, with only one new fire reported. As fire danger continues to moderate, burn permit suspensions have been lifted statewide. This allows residents to conduct small debris burns, utilize burn barrels, and complete small lawn burns with a valid permit. This report covers fires occurring in the Division of Alaska Forestry & Fire Protection's coastal protection area, generally south of the Alaska Range. This includes the DOF protection areas of Southwest, Anchorage Mat-Su, Kenai-Kodiak, and Copper River. The East Marydale Fire (#361) is ½ mile north of Soldonta. Local Forestry and Central Emergency Services from Kenai Peninsula Borough responded to a report of a smoke smell near a local business.  

Due to reduced wildland fire activity associated with the Globe Fire (#253), the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Eastern Interior Field Office rescinded the fire closure for the western portion of the White Mountains National Recreation Area near the Wickersham Dome Trailhead at mile 28 of the Elliott Highway. The area will reopen at 12:00 p.m. today. There are no remaining public access closures for the White Mountains. Cooler, wet weather helped control fire activity, but visitors should remain alert for changes.  

PHOTOS: A massive four-alarm fire destroyed an apartment building in Philadelphia's Rhawnhurst neighborhood. The call came in around 9:24 p.m. Thursday for flames showing from the roof of the property located on the 7400 block of Roosevelt Blvd., just north of Cottman Avenue. "On arrival companies found heavy smoke conditions emanating from the fourth floor. Companies went into service with an interior check to locate and find a fire while simultaneously looking for any occupants and making sure they were removed safely," said Fire Commissioner Jeffrey Thompson. The fire reached four alarms before it was brought under control just after midnight. DeVona MacFarland, who was preparing for a family reunion in South Carolina, was in the shower when the alarm sounded.  

VIDEO: Southern Manatee Fire & Rescue is the first in the country to use a one-of-a-kind piece of equipment that aids in emergencies. In collaboration with NASA and the company Squishy Robotics, the robot device is designed to reduce response time and keep first responders safe. The co-founder of Squishy Robotics says the robot was initially intended for planetary exploration, but an alternative use was found. "It provides a rapid initial assessment and a better understanding of a situation before they enter," said Deniz Dogruer, the co-founder of Squishy robotics. Rich Gatanis, a HAZMAT technician with the department, has had the chance to see the device in person. "I'm checking all the equipment, making sure it's in working order every day. We have to put hands on everything," the 20-year firefighter said.  

VIDEO: Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill on Thursday aimed at getting dangerous lithium-ion batteries off the streets and out of homes. According to FDNY data, this year alone in the city there have been 110 investigations connected to lithium-ion battery fires that resulted in 50 injuries and one death. Hochul, who was joined by FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh and other city and state leaders, put pen to paper and turned eight pieces of legislation into law. "These batteries don't catch on fire like kindling. They explode like a grenade," Hochul said. "Greedy manufacturers put profit over safety and flood the market with cheap, malfunctioning batteries. Here in New York, that ends today." The legislation prohibits the sale of batteries not up to manufacturing standards, requires retailers to provide manuals for the batteries and requires training materials for first responders for incidents involving the batteries.  

VIDEO: A firefighter in Powell County has been put on administrative leave after a social media post circulated showing him hanging out of the window of a car. The Clay City Fire Department shared this photo from someone in Estill County. It shows a man hanging out of the window of a moving car they say almost hit one person. Fire officials say the behavior is not tolerated, and further disciplinary action has been taken. The Powell County judge-executive says the incident jeopardized everyone's safety. "He could've lost balance, fell out of the car, and according to the witness, they were at a high rate of speed. It could've caused somebody else to wreck by coming up on it and seeing somebody hanging out of the window driver's attention. They can run off the road, or they could've hit head-on or anything like that," said Powell County Judge-Executive Eddie Barnes.  

PHOTOS: Her name was "Smokey," and she belonged to the firemen of Companies 1 and 2 at the fire station at Webster and Ford streets during the 1930s and ‘40s. On Memorial Day 1935, a stray 3-month-old puppy showed up at the station, tired and thirsty. Capt. John Murphy couldn't resist helping her. "She sat up on her haunches, looked up at us and we looked back at her and in about three minutes, she took over the place," he said. She became not only their mascot, but also the boss and queen of the fire station. Smokey began every day by attending the morning roll call. Then she had her breakfast outside the kitchen door. Smokey wasn't permitted in the kitchen or bedrooms. If there was no official activity during the day, Smokey would play ball with the men on duty, guard the building and wait for food between naps under a truck.