Wildfire prevention and water conservation are among the last topics I ever thought I'd write about. Over decades of living in Anchorage, I've never needed to think about wildfire prevention, other than ensuring my firewood wasn't leaning against my house. And we've had so much snow and so many glaciers that conserving water was the last thing on my mind. I'm only writing about them now because I love this city and state and want it to survive and thrive. And I'm afraid. Last summer scared the living daylights out of me. I've never before seen a wildfire inside the city limits here. Never had to stay inside to avoid smoke. Never seen so many fires raging so close to Anchorage. Never had to consider evacuating because a wildfire passed close to my house. If you live in Anchorage, you know how distressing those things were. If you live elsewhere, chances are, fires may have hit you even harder. You also know that last summer was incredibly hard on Alaska's trees.  

The bodies of the five people who died last week in a Yute Commuter Service plane crash near the community of Tuntutuliak are in Anchorage. The names of the four passengers from the coastal community of Kipnuk have yet to be released, but Yute Commuter Service identified the pilot as Tony Matthews. The recovery effort took multiple agencies two days, working outside in severe wind chill. KYUK talked with two of the responders who were there. It's always the hope that when searchers go out, it's for a rescue, not a recovery, said Carl Andrew, who has volunteered with Tuntutuliak Search and Rescue for 38 years. When he responded to the plane crash on Thursday, it wasn't his first. "Well, we were prepared with our equipment to hopefully deal with survivors. As we all know by now with all the releases, the news, the reports, there were no survivors," Andrew said.  

VIDEOS: A massive blaze at a two-story apartment complex sent plumes of smoke into the sky as more than 100 firefighters attempted to extinguish the flames early Wednesday morning. The Orange County Fire Authority and Tustin police responded to the intersection of Williams Street and McFadden Avenue at approximately 3 a.m. as crews encountered heavy fire coming from both floors. Firefighters went into defensive mode as a roof collapsed approximately 45 minutes after the fire erupted. At about 5 a.m., firefighters appeared to make progress on the 5-alarm blaze. At least 100 residents were displaced and two civilians suffered apparent smoke inhalation injuries considered minor. Fire officials are still in the process of confirming if everyone in the building has been accounted for. As many as 120 firefighters were at the scene as the fire rapidly grew in size, possibly affecting up to 100 apartments. No police officers or firefighters were hurt in the incident.  

The town should close the Foreside fire station and hire more full-time firefighters to better meet the increasing number of calls for emergency aid, a consultant told the council Monday. Travis Miller, of consulting firm Criterion and Associates in Massachusetts, made the recommendations after reviewing staffing, the number of calls the Fire Department gets annually and where those calls are coming from. In addition to closing the Foreside station, Miller said, the Fire Department should immediately have at least five people on duty at Central Station 24/7. Under that model, two would serve the ambulance and three would serve the fire engine, he said. Ideally, Miller added, there should also be at least two paramedics on duty at the Winn Road station at all times, as well. That station is now manned by live-in fire students, but they're not always available to respond to calls.  

President Donald Trump has released his budget recommendations for fiscal year 2021, including a proposed increase in funds for the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) and decrease in Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate fire & Emergency Response Grants (SAFER) allocations. AFG and SAFER received a combined total of $355 million in fiscal year 2020, which the President's Budget Request (PBR) recommended lowering to $344.4 million, according to the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI). The USFA, which received $46.8 million in fiscal year 2020, would receive $49.7 million under the PBR recommendations. Allocations for Urban Search and Rescue should remain at $37.832 million, according to the PBR.  

The City of Winston-Salem just launched a new social media video campaign with the city fire department, highlighting the people inside of the bright red engines and what they really do. When most people think of Winston-Salem firefighters, they imagine people barging into buildings filled with flames and racing off to help anyone in need. But Chief Trey Mayo wants the community to understand they're more than the headlines. "We have fire trucks come and fire trucks go, and the public sees them moving around not really understanding what they're doing," mayo said. The two new "SAVE" campaign videos show what the firefighters do and why they're so important. "It's difficult to put a value on human life. That's what you're going to see in these videos: preservation of human life," Mayo said.  

Local students could soon have a fast track to a stable career, thanks to The Augusta Fire Department. Augusta Commissioners are on board, as well as the Richmond County Board of Education Board Members. The goal is to allow students to earn a good salary right out of high school. "I have positions that I need to fill," said Augusta Fire Department Fire Chief, Christopher James. "I think we can use our resources right here to fill those positions." The fire department is ready to help recent graduates get on the path to success, right here at home. "They don't have to go off somewhere else to get a job," explained James. "We have jobs right here in our community that is very satisfying jobs that pay well." The fire department has partnered with the city and the school board. Students will have the chance to take the firefighter test. If they meet the requirements, they could walk right into a job after graduation. Starting pay is $33,684, plus benefits, and paid vacation time.