VIDEO: The Southeast is a mountainous region. When it comes to building in the area, a lot goes into it. John Thornley is a geotechnical engineer. "Oftentimes we do a lot of homework before we go out and do a site investigation to evaluate what kind of information we have available," he shared. But engineering and surveying can only do so much. He continued saying, "Slopes can change over time. That's probably one thing that we're seeing often broadly, is that slopes that we have identified as stable back in the day may not be stable anymore." Sitka is one place that is familiar with landslides. After a fatal landslide in 2015, they decided to do something about it. Over at the Sitka Sound Science Center, they began to work. Senior researcher Ron Heintz went on to say, "The approach was to identify conditions that could be counted on being measured continuously."  

Two people were injured in a boat explosion at a New Jersey marina Wednesday afternoon. Old Bridge Township Police said officers were sent to the Raritan Marina just before 3:30 p.m. Video from Chopper 2 shows firefighters spraying water on a boat engulfed in flames in the creek. The flames sent plumes of black smoke billowing into the air. According to police, the explosion caused a 57-year-old man to be launched into the water. Police said he was rescued by bystanders and airlifted to a local hospital to be treated for burns to his face and legs. Police said a 47-year-old man was hit by glass and suffered injuries to his stomach and arms. He was taken to a local medical center for treatment. The cause of the explosion is still being investigated, but police said it does not appear to be suspicious.  

VIDEO/PHOTOS: The city of Hartselle says two firefighters were taken to the hospital after a fire truck hit a house Wednesday afternoon. In a post on social media, the city said that while returning from a fire call Wednesday, the driver of fire engine two experienced a medical emergency and lost control of the vehicle near the Dollar General on Highway 36 West. The Hartselle Police Department (HPD) said the emergency caused the driver to pass out. The city said the Lieutenant in the passenger seat was able to grab the steering wheel and get the truck out of oncoming traffic. However, officials said the firefighter was unable to fully regain control of the vehicle and it exited the roadway on the westbound side. The truck then struck the corner of an unoccupied house and continued moving before hitting a large pine tree.  

VIDEO/PHOTOS: There was a celebration in San Jose for a milestone birthday of a retired fire captain. Sam Seibert turned 105 years old on Tuesday. And to honor him, a party was held at the San Jose Fire Museum, which he helped create years ago. Seibert served with the department from 1946 to 1976 and he is the oldest known living former San Jose firefighter. Seibert said he had some great years with the department. And he was grateful for the celebration. "I think it's an extravaganza, but I'm glad I'm here," he said. "I guess I'm going to get some extra pie and cake and I'm going to get to see a lot of people that I had relationships with." Seibert said the secret to a long life is beer and soda, and simply "getting up in the morning."  

VIDEO: Firefighters in Maitland had to battle an early morning fire at their own station on Wednesday. Officials say the flames destroyed three vehicles parked behind Fire Station 47 on Fennell Street, but luckily, no one was hurt. The station is next to the Maitland Police Department and both buildings were surrounded by caution tape after the fire. Officers first noticed the flames close to 3 a.m. in a maintenance area between the buildings. Initially, they thought a large fuel tank was on fire. Firefighters started pouring water onto the flames and realized three vehicles were burning: an ambulance, a rehab unit, and a frontloader used by public works. The fire department vehicles were both in reserve, meaning they were not being used on a regular basis, although the fire department did have plans to refurbish the ambulance and return it to service.