A massive fire destroyed an apartment complex on the north side early Friday morning and firefighters had a tough time putting it out. The fire broke out around 3 a.m. near Castle Hills. So far, there haven't been any reports of people injured, but several pets have been seen roaming around nearby. Firefighters rushed to the scene south of Loop 410 in the 7900 block of Jackson Keller Road. They said the close proximity of the buildings made fighting the fire more challenging because it spread easily from one building to another. About a dozen apartment units were destroyed, but officials said some of those units were vacant.  

Construction projects are underway in New Braunfels that will help the police and fire departments as they continue expanding. The City of New Braunfels' new 65,000-square foot police station and veteran's memorial is expected to be completed by spring 2022. "This building is really designed for the future New Braunfels...," said New Braunfels Police Chief Keith Lane. Lane said they will have more space to hold community meetings and the location is key. "The location is going to be really helpful to us. Getting in and out here is a lot easier than we currently are," Lane said. The facility will have office space for all divisions, public space, a training room, vehicle maintenance bays, evidence storage, a gym and it will be located in the 3000 block of W. San Antonio Street.  

Corpus Christi Fire Department Officials said a man intentionally set a fire inside an apartment building, dead bolted the front door and made barricades around the apartment to make it difficult for fire crews to put out the blaze. CCFD officials said they received a call around 12:30 p.m. on Thursday afternoon about a possible fire at the Brittany Apartments off Paul Jones Ave. When they arrived on scene, officials said they believed the individual set fires in multiple parts of the apartment and then kicked out a back window to get out. "Crews had to force entry," Corpus Christi Fire Department Battalion Chief Robin McGill said. "They did a great job of doing that. The fires were still in the growing phase so they were able to get past the barricades he made inside and extinguish these fires pretty quick."  

The Amarillo Fire Department (AFD) warned the community against smoking around medical oxygen after an early Thursday apartment fire sent one person to the hospital. According to AFD, crews responded to the 2200 block of SW 7th at around 3:50 a.m. after a fire alarm sounded from an apartment building. While there was no visible fire or smoke from the outside of the building according to crews, and a sprinkler head appeared to have extinguished the fire that triggered the alarm, one person was found injured. Paramedics treated the victim before they were sent to the Lubbock burn unit for evaluation, and firefighters reported to shut off the sprinkler system and cleared out the water from the apartment.  

A driver was airlifted after he suffered serious burns when the truck he was in erupted into flames and exploded in the Atascocita area Friday morning, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said. The Harris County Fire Marshal's Office said their investigators determined that the driver was refilling a butane lighter and smoking when the vapors ignited causing the fire and explosion. The sheriff tweeted about the incident just after 8:30 a.m. Deputies responded to several reports of a vehicle fire in the 20900 block of Greenfield Trail. The sheriff said the male driver in his 20s left a home and then the vehicle burst into flames and exploded. The truck came to a stop in someone's yard. The truck was consumed by flames. The sheriff said the driver exited the truck and collapsed after sustaining serious burns.  

A Texas lawmaker has filed a bill that would require kennel operators to install fire protection measures if they don't have a staffer on site 24/7. State Rep. James Talarico, D-Round Rock, created House Bill 147 in response to the Ponderosa Pet Resort fire in Georgetown that killed 75 pets due to smoke inhalation last month. There was no staff at the pet boarding facility when the fire broke out the night of Sept. 18, and there was also no fire suppression system, according to the Georgetown fire chief. The bill would require all Texas dog kennel operators to install fire alarms and sprinkler systems, if there is not a staff member on site 24/7. After the Ponderosa fire, a petition with more than 17,000 signatures called for more fire safety measures to be mandated and enforced in pet boarding facilities.  

A massive fire destroyed an apartment complex on the north side early Friday morning and firefighters had a tough time putting it out. The fire broke out around 3 a.m. near Castle Hills. So far, there haven't been any reports of people injured, but several pets have been seen roaming around nearby. Firefighters rushed to the scene south of Loop 410 in the 7900 block of Jackson Keller Road. They said the close proximity of the buildings made fighting the fire more challenging because it spread easily from one building to another. About a dozen apartment units were destroyed, but officials said some of those units were vacant.  

Three female firefighters are breaking barriers by filling top leadership roles at a fire station in Fairfax County. 7News Anchor Alison Starling spoke to the women about making history while saving lives. Captain Emily Murphy, Captain Katja Lancing and Captain Felecia Barnes -- Three of the finest Fairfax County Fire has to offer, now the officers in charge of Engine 437. "It's nice to know that we have impact and shown in the community and within the Fire and Rescue Department," Murphy said. "It's a feeling of accomplishment." These women have worked their way up the ranks and conquered the physical challenges to now keep watch over this fire station at all hours. It's the first time all officers in charge have been women.  

The Hartford, which has provided fire-safety education to more than 111 million children since 1947, deputized more than 65,000 new Junior Fire Marshals in one day as part of its second annual Junior Fire Marshal Day. The company created the live, virtual fire-safety event in 2020 to address the critical lack of in-person, fire-safety education available to elementary school students because of the pandemic. On Oct. 5, thousands of kindergarten through third-grade students in more than 200 cities across the country participated in the live-stream event as part of Fire Prevention Week.  

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson sent his food truck to feed Louisville first responders on Wednesday. Officials told us the truck fed members of the Louisville Division of Fire and Louisville Metro Police Department for free. The truck, called Mana Mobile, is a collaboration with his tequila brand, Teremana. It serves up food like tacos and french toast. Louisville is one of 20 stops for the food truck so far. Starting its trip in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in July, the truck has traveled from Los Angeles to New York City, visiting main streets, military bases and fire stations along the way. The truck is currently stopped in Nashville, Tennessee until it makes its way to its next stop in Columbia, South Carolina on Oct. 17.  

VIDEO: Nearly 40 years ago, a fire at the Star Hotel in Bellows Falls claimed the lives of two young firefighters. Now, there's a new documentary out during Fire Prevention Week helping to raise money for a park dedicated to them. The evening of Dec. 29, 1981, firefighters were called to a blaze at the hotel. "They were doing rescue work operations. When they arrived on the scene there was a notification that people were inside and they were trapped. And they went in to rescue, to save a life," former Bellows Falls fire chief John Wood said. It was a perfect storm: a brand-new fire chief who hadn't gotten to the scene yet, freezing temperatures, an old building, lots of smoke and chaotic communication. Believing more people were inside, Bellows Falls Firefighters Terry Brown and Dana Fuller went into the flames to get them out.