The State of Alaska has a cross-border "splash and dash" agreement with Canada to provide aerial assistance with wildfire suppression, if resources are available. Tanker 540 and lead plane ASM A4 made the 1-hour flight to Dawson and dropped three loads of retardant around the Bell Creek Fire burning about 12 miles southwest of Dawson. The tanker and lead plane flew back across the border to the Tanacross Tanker Base near Tok to reload and refuel following the first drop and the tanker made two more drops to help buy more time for the Yukoners to get ground forces in place. ASM A4 also served as the lead plane for a Yukon Electra P3 air tanker that was making drops on the fire. At last report, the Bell Creek Fire was approximately 37 acres. The Yukon Protective Services' wildland fire management division recorded 17 new wildfires on Wednesday across central and southern Yukon as a result of more than 3,800 lightning strikes.  

The Kingsport Fire Department responded to reports of a fire on the 1000 block of Dorothy Street early Friday morning. Responders arrived to the scene at 12:05 a.m., where they discovered a home engulfed in flames. The home was a total loss, according to officials. No injuries were reported, and the department continues to investigate the cause of the fire.  

VIDEO: Resort City firefighters say if a building collapse similar to the June disaster in Surfside, Florida were to happen here, they're now better prepared to respond. In the last six weeks, the Virginia Beach Fire Department added two identical vehicles, called rescue companies, to its fleet. The vehicles are designed to respond to fire entrapments, vehicle entrapments, water rescues and building collapses, among other emergencies. "It's the Swiss Army knife of vehicles," said Capt. Jon Rigolo, a 38-year veteran of the department who works on the Technical Rescue team at Fire Station 7, near the Virginia Beach Town Center. Also described as a "big toolbox," Capt. Rigolo says the roughly $1 million vehicles were specifically designed with Virginia Beach firefighters in mind, a process that took about two years.  

PHOTOS: Former Phoenix Fire Chief Alan Brunacini has influenced tens of thousands of firefighters around the world. A mural painted on the side of a building in downtown Phoenix on Osborn Road just before 7th Street will honor the life and legacy of Brunacini, who served as the city's fire chief from 1978 to 2006. The mural features a firefighter wearing bright yellow turnouts working on a fire hydrant with hundreds of feet of yellow fire hose painted along the base of the building. The hose leads to the "Charlie" side of the building, which is fire lingo for the back of the structure. That's where you get a full visual of the legacy and personality of the man who was known for firefighter safety and being nice.  

VIDEO: It may look like a lot of work, but several firefighters with Orange County Fire Rescue said it takes a couple of steps when it comes to using ropes during a high-angle rescue call. On Thursday, Orange County Fire Rescue held a special operations training at the Orange County Convention Center to learn how to use a new rope that allows them to make knots faster and easier during an emergency. "We had larger diameter rope, which was heavier and harder to tie knots, so we are going to a smaller rope it's just as strong as the older ropes, so it just makes it easier. It's lighter to carry," said Lt. Ralph Astarita with OCFR Special Operations. Astarita said they have a total of 330 rope techs within the fire department but only 69 are climbers.  

VIDEO: While COVID-19 cases in the United States have been rising in almost every state over the past week, a handful have been driving the bulk of the nationwide surge. White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients told reporters Thursday the country has "fundamentally changed the course of this pandemic" and the threat of serious disease and death now is to the unvaccinated. He said counties with the highest case rates have significantly lower vaccination rates than other areas. And a few states have seen many of the new cases. "This week, just three states Florida, Texas and Missouri, three states with lower vaccination rates accounted for 40 percent of all cases nationwide," Zients said at a White House news conference.