In an unfortunate incident on Kala Slough, off of the Yukon River, a 25-year-old Galena man lost his life attempting to retrieve his watercraft on Sunday morning. AST was informed at 9:40 am on Sunday morning, that Kevin Evans of Galena had drowned in the slough across the river from Galena as he was attempting to retrieve his boat which was floating away. After he drowned in his attempt to save his boat, Evans was pulled down by the river current and his body did not resurface. Galena Search and Rescue responded to the scene and began recovery operations. After an hour of searching, Evan's remains were located and recovered from the slough. Evan's next of kin were notified of the incident as was the State Medical Examiner's office in Anchorage.  

VIDEO: On Saturday morning, the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association tweeted a photo of a collapsed ceiling on ambulance at Fire Station 49. The post accused the City of Houston of years of neglect of the department's fleet and facilities. No one was hurt during the collapse. "Now is the time that this city needs to prioritize not only the fleet [and] facilities, but the health and wellness of the men and women that we are asking to continue to go out there and put themselves on the frontline, not only during this pandemic but on a daily basis," said Marty Lanction, HPFFA President. In response, the mayor's office sent FOX 26 the following statement: "We are grateful that no one was hurt and the General Services Department responded immediately to begin making repairs. Mayor Turner and city council have heavily invested in Houston Fire Department personnel training, equipment, and facilities."  

VIDEO: Firefighters battled an extra-alarm fire early Sunday morning at a chemical plant in the Pullman neighborhood on the Far South Side, Chicago fire officials said. According to CFD, around 12:33 a.m. crews were dispatched to a building fire at the Imperial Zinc Corporation in the 1000-block of E. 103rd Street. Hazmat teams were called in because of the chemicals inside the plant, CFD said. The fire department tweeted out a photo Sunday morning showing the roof of the building had collapsed. Crews were able to put out the flames a little after 2:00 a.m., CFD said. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is still being investigated.  

A Seminole County employee was killed and three firefighters were injured in a sidewalk collapse in Lake Mary Friday, according to the Seminole County Fire Department. The county environmental services employee was identified as Tomasz Sajkowski, a utilities operations distribution mechanic, by Seminole County spokeswoman Ashley Moore Friday afternoon. Firefighters responded to the 200 block of Chiswell Place at Heathrow Woods about 10:30 a.m. Friday, Seminole County Fire Chief Otto Drozd III said at a press conference. Sajkowski had been working on a water main repair when the sidewalk collapsed. Drozd said officials believe the water main leak created a void under the ground, causing the sidewalk to collapse and trapping Sajkowski. Upon arriving, firefighters decided to use the "Jaws of Life," a hydraulic extraction tool, to try to remove the concrete slabs from him, Drozd said.  

Following two shootings in a little more than two months, an Elizabeth City fire station is on track to get bulletproof walls. Shots were most recently fired July 15 near the station on Harney Street, which is manned 24-hours a day. At least one round went through a wall, into its sleeping and eating areas. "If somebody had been standing at the kitchen stove, they would have been hit," said Elizabeth City Fire Chief Chris Carver. Shots previously entered the building on May 12 and at least two other times going back to 2015, he said. The May 12 bullet just missed the living quarters. The shots appear to be random and not necessarily directed at the fire station. No one has been injured. But firefighters who spend long shifts there working, eating and sleeping are vulnerable — and worried. "We have to make our guys safe," Carver said.  

The Hilton Fire Department is now training to take its rescue efforts to the clouds, with the help of drone technology. Department heads say it's among the first in the area to bring use the drones for certain calls. The idea was the brainchild of fifth-year firefighter David Olney, who is a trained drone pilot himself, he says it was a no-brainer, as the drones could be a real boost for the department, and the community. Right now- they have four firefighters in training, with each person using a training drone, the plan is to purchase a more official drone by the end of the year. Each pilot has to be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration. "It's really exciting, honestly." Olney said "We're adopting new things that are going to keep them safe." The idea is to take the drones from the fire house, and out in to the field where they can be used for life-saving search and rescue missions among other tasks.