The Alaska Division of Forestry reported that four of their employees survived a plane crash near the western Alaska village of Aniak today, May 28 at approximately 4 p.m. The DOF said the plane, owned by the DOF, crashed into the Kuskokwim River on takeoff. There were four people on board, including the pilot, and all four individuals suffered injuries. The seriousness of the injuries is unknown at this time. Alaska State Troopers and local Emergency Services personnel responded to the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration have been notified. The plane, an Aero Commander 500 Shrike, was transporting emergency firefighters from two western Alaska villages to Soldotna to support initial attack wildfire responses for the Kenai/Kodiak Area Forestry station.  

Wildland firefighters from the Alaska Division of Forestry's Kenai/Kodiak station were able to halt the spread of a small wildfire that was started when a motorhome caught fire Thursday afternoon near Soldotna. Firefighters responded to the fire at approximately 3:45 p.m. when it began to spread into the surrounding wildlands near Longmere Lake on Penny Lane. The fire was reportedly spreading toward nearby residences and there was a 500-gallon fuel tank nearby. The fire, dubbed the Penny Fire, caught a nearby garage on fire but structure firefighters from Central Emergency Services were able to contain the fire to the motorhome and garage while wildland firefighters from State Forestry were able to stop the progression of the fire that spread into the wildlands at an estimated 1 acre.  

The simplest way to track the progress of any outbreak is by seeing how many new cases and deaths are reported in a given area each day. And in the United States, falling numbers in some of the hardest-hit places have offered glimmers of hope. Totals for the country have been on a downward curve, and in former hot spots like New York and New Jersey, the counts appear to have peaked. But infections and deaths are rising in more than a dozen states, as they are in countries around the world, an ominous sign that the pandemic may be entering a new phase. Wisconsin saw its highest single-day increase in confirmed cases and deaths this week, two weeks after the state's highest court overturned a stay-at-home order. Cases are also on the rise in Alabama, Arkansas, California and North Carolina, which on Thursday reported some of the state's highest numbers of hospitalizations and reported deaths since the crisis began.  

PHOTOS: Audra Carter has a simple message for any young woman or girl who asks her about becoming a firefighter: "Please. We need more." The 48-year-old Hoboken native is providing a shining example for future female firefighters. She was promoted Thursday, becoming the first woman battalion chief in the 171-year history of the Hoboken Fire Department in a ceremony at City Hall. "I'm extremely proud," Carter said. "It was the next step in my career. My goal from the first day being hired was to progress up the ladder and better myself and reach the top. It's a proud moment." Carter fills the void left by the retirement of Battalion Chief William Rozmester. She is an 18-year veteran of the department, serving the past nine years as a fire captain, officials said.  

U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL) urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to take action that would avoid potential layoffs of America's experienced firefighters. Specifically, Rep. LaHood and U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL) called on FEMA to temporarily expand the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Program to include firefighters already on payroll. Currently, the SAFER program has a requirement that funding be used only to hire new firefighters, according to a May 26 letter the lawmakers sent to FEMA Administrator Peter Gaynor. "Public health concerns have forced cities across the country to shut down and, in turn, take drastic budgetary measures," wrote Rep. LaHood and his colleague. "This threatens the immediate viability of fire stations. Fire stations are struggling to retain the experienced firefighters already on staff — the same men and women that go out day after day as first responders to some of our most vulnerable."  

VIDEO: Mayor Jacob Frey said he made the call to evacuate police officers from the 3rd Precinct before rioters set the building on fire Thursday night as protests continued to boil over in Minneapolis after the death of George Floyd. Police said officers were able to safely evacuate as rioters breached the perimeter and started a fire that spread through the building. Shortly after, city officials warned protesters to move from the building after receiving reports that gas lines may have been cut. They urged people to move away from the building. In a tweet, Mayor Jacob Frey said the fire department is working to respond to the fires that have been set. However, he added, "We all need to work together to ensure the safety of our friends, family, and Minneapolis residents. And right now working together means clearing the area."  

The FDNY on Thursday hosted a ceremonial sendoff to medical response teams that traveled to New York City to assist with the coronavirus pandemic. For 60 days, American Medical Response (AMR) ambulance crews, Network Providers and support staff from across the country have worked in New York as part of the urgent response to the COVID-19 crisis. More than 1,600 caregivers and 500 ambulances from AMR and other EMS companies were deployed to New York and New Jersey to help support efforts to transport and treat patients at the height of the pandemic. "We say good bye to 85 different units from across the country, some of which have been here 60 days away from their own families and have long trips home," EMS Operations Chief Lillian Bonsignore said. "We are eternally gratefully. They came to our service. They came to our city and helped the people who needed them the most. They fit right in to the FDNY and the city, and fit right in to all those who needed our help."