Firefighters who extinguished a blaze in an SUV early Friday in East Anchorage found a body inside, police said. "The death is considered suspicious in nature," police said in an online alert. Police and fire crews responded to reports of a vehicle fire around 12:45 a.m. in a residential area near 22nd Avenue and More Street, not far from Cheney Lake Park. They found a full-size, light-colored SUV ablaze. After the fire was out, firefighters discovered the body inside, according to the alert. The name of the victim wasn't released pending notification of relatives. Homicide detectives and fire investigators were on the scene as of 3 a.m. "There will be a large APD and AFD presence in the area for several hours," the alert said.  

Climate change is having wide-ranging, visible impacts in Alaska. This summer, the state saw record-breaking heat and widespread drought. With that dry heat came a long, destructive and expensive wildfire season. Further north, permafrost is thawing, and rain has become increasingly common in winter months. Over the next four years, a collaborative research project aims to take a close look at these three natural hazards: wildfire, unstable permafrost and rain-in-winter events. They'll examine how climate change is making communities even more vulnerable to these hazards, and the costs associated with them. As climate change related hazards become more and more apparent, researchers are looking closely at what that means for urban communities in Alaska and the Yukon.  

The Newburgh City Council on Thursday night approved its 2020 financial plan that includes steep layoffs to public safety and a tax increase for non-homestead payers after an emotionally-charged meeting at the Activity Center. The $46.8 million budget plan calls for the elimination of 35 public-safety positions, six of which are funded-vacancies; meaning 15 uniformed police positions and 14 uniformed firefighters will be cut. Meanwhile, the city voted for a .25 percent decrease next year for homestead property tax-payers and a 4.26 percent increase for non-homestead payers. "There is no way that they can expect more with less," Acting fire Chief Terry Ahlers said after the vote. "With the cuts they just made, they made is so that we have a person for each position.  

Local firefighters and first responders participated in special training on Wednesday aimed at learning how to identify someone with dementia. Carmel and Noblesville fire departments are working to become the first departments in the state to require the training. With an increasing regularity, firefighters are responding to patients suffering some form of dementia. "We really are," said Carmel Fire Department public information officer Tim Griffin. "And one of the big key factors is the aging population, the boomers, we have this aging population and the numbers are staggering at the amount of people this will affect or is affecting now." Every day the Carmel Fire Department encounters someone with dementia. The increase has prompted the department to create a PSA on how others can spot signs that a person with dementia may be in trouble in their community.  

A hot oiler truck and a frack tank offloading product were the cause of an explosion Thursday on Fairgrounds Road in southeast Midland. Chief Charles Blumenauer of the Midland Fire Department said a fire engine responding to the scene also caught fire after the initial incident. A hose disconnected from the hot oiler and spilled fluid, causing a rolling fire under MFD Engine 3, he said. One person was injured and transferred to Midland Memorial Hospital, Blumenauer said. Crews had nearly extinguished the fire as of 1 p.m. Thursday. Surrounding businesses were initially evacuated and part of Fairgrounds Road had been closed to traffic, but Blumenauer said all businesses and roads would be reopened. He said there is no chance of more explosions. "It's just an industrial accident that happened to have an explosion," he said.  

A prestigious firefighter training event is coming to Tulsa for the first time. The Oklahoma Smoke Diver Program will be held at the Tulsa Fire Training Center next March and is expected to have a $200,000 economic impact on the community.The program is only available in a handful of states. Oklahoma firefighters began work on bringing it to the state about five years ago. Tryouts will be conducted on Saturday by the nonprofit Oklahoma Smoke Divers Association. The group expects about 150 firefighters from the region to vie for 30 positions in the program. Firefighters who are accepted will be able to use the program to expand upon the training they already receive. The Oklahoma Smoke Diver Program researches situations in which firefighters have died responding to emergencies, and teaches others how to survive them.  

Three men were killed when flames tore through an abandoned home overnight in Queens. Police sources told CBS2 the cause is believed to be suspicious. Firefighters were called shortly after midnight to Farmers Boulevard near 111th Avenue in the St. Albans section. When crews arrived, they found the men – believed to be squatters – already dead inside the house. Four of the 200 firefighters who responded were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. Neighbors said they've seen people going in and out for warmth for a while. "They don't' want to go to a shelter or whatever. They chose an abandoned home," said neighbor Linda Wong. "It's a human being, you know. You don't got to die like that… I'm distraught. I'm just praying for them. You know, it's sad, it's terrible."