VIDEO: An immediate demolition job was ordered for the damaged remains of a home that exploded Saturday night in east San Antonio. Fire investigators said the structure, near the corner of Walters and Martin Luther King Drive was so dangerous, they couldn't fully extinguish the resulting fire until the structure was razed. Heavy equipment arrived on scene just 12 hours after a blast, believed to be caused by a build up of natural gas, blasted the old wooden structure and shook neighbors out of their sleep. Tyrone Oliver lives adjacent to the home. His backyard is now littered with shattered lumber and broken glass, shrapnel that flew across his fence. "It sounded like Call of Duty was outside my window last night," he said. "I had never seen anything like that before."  

A fire at a northeast Dallas apartment complex early Sunday morning damaged five units, according to Dallas Fire-Rescue. Firefighters were called around 3:23 a.m. to the East Town Apartments in the 6400 block of Melody Lane. When they arrived. the three-story apartment building had fire coming through the roof. Around 45 to 50 firefighters worked to extinguish the fire in just over an hour, according to Dallas Fire-Rescue. No injuries were reported, but five of the 14 apartments were damaged in the fire and an undisclosed number of residents were displaced, fire officials said. The American Red Cross was notified about the fire so they could provide assistance to the residents. Fire investigators determined the fire was caused by cooking left unattended in a third-floor apartment.  

Training for Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services (ATCEMS) responders in Texas looked very different prior to the addition of augmented and virtual reality technology in the department. According to Commander Keith Noble of ATCEMS, traditional training involved a PowerPoint presentation and a walkthrough of the department's ambulance bus (Ambus). There were plans for a large mass-casualty event training in the works for several years, but it would have involved bringing in 600 employees on overtime pay for several hours to complete it. Through Noble's leadership, ATCEMS identified a better way of doing things through AR and VR, which would lower costs and allow for more versatile training, as new scenarios can be added. Moreover, AR and VR training can be frequently repeated, as opposed to the costly traditional method, which could be done once and not again for years — if ever again.  

Saturday, The Panhandle Firefighters' and Fire Marshals' Association held a Memorial Service for First Responders who have died in the past couple of years. Among those honored, include a fallen officer and a firefighter who died working a traffic accident January of last year. Lieutenant David Eric Hill and Firefighter Matthew Kenneth Dawson were responding to the accident near Lubbock, when a vehicle lost control, crossed the median and struck the first responders. In response to the tragedy, the parents of Lieutenant Hill are trying to raise awareness and prevent more accidents like these. "Susan and I have started a foundation or the initiative called 5-5-5. What we are trying to do through that is get word out to the public to slow down and move over, just please slow down, please take your time, leave a little bit early and have that time because there's not just a fireman standing out there there's a family," said Mark Hill.  

A man is in critical condition at St. Elizabeth Hospital after being pulled from a burning home Saturday afternoon, according to District Chief Scott Wheat with Beaumont Fire and Rescue. Before Beaumont firefighters arrived at the scene, neighbors rescued two people from a burning home in the 2600 block of Grand Avenue around 2:30 p.m. Saturday. One of the men was rushed to the hospital by an ambulance after first responders performed CPR on him at the scene. The reason he's in the hospital is not directly related to a fire or heat injury, Wheat said. Another man injured his arm during the incident, but he was not burned. 12News crew was at the scene. Nearly 40 percent of the structure was involved with smoke coming out of all of the openings, Wheat tells 12News.  

Retired Conroe Fire Department Lt. Neal Radford is being remembered by colleagues as a leader and friend following his death from COVID-19, whose vaccine he promoted as he battled the virus. Radford died Thursday afternoon at CHI St. Luke's Health The Woodlands Hospital after a near month-long ICU stay. He was 52. "He was crucial in laying the groundwork to what we are today and the successes we have today," said Conroe Fire Lt. Lloyd Sandefer. Eagerly championing safety, Radford helped better the department's equipment and staffing, Conroe Fire Assistant Chief Mike Legoudes said. He worked to implement a vehicle replacement program through the City of Conroe, helping ensure a safe ride for firefighters, Legoudes explained. Radford "was instrumental in helping us progress the department forward to serve the citizens better," Legoudes said.  

VIDEO: At least 15 buildings in Gary, Indiana were on fire overnight, forcing firefighters to call backup. At least a dozen different fire departments were at the scene and battled structural fires, according to the Highland Fire Department on its Facebook page. One of the houses that had already been boarded up had its roof cave in due to a fire. Sizable flames at another scene were also seen at a home that was boarded up. Arson was suspected in earlier fires this week, according to the Northwest Indiana Times. Gary fire officials have not provided additional information about whether the incidents were related. A person from a board-up company said he saw multiple fires throughout the Gary area, but there was not anything to be boarded up at certain scenes because the structures had completely crumbled to the ground. Highland Fire Chief Bill Timmer said Sunday there were "very large losses," but no firefighters were hurt.  

Volunteer firefighters — who comprise more than 65 percent of the U.S. fire service — have higher levels of "forever chemicals," per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), in their bodies than the general public, according to a Rutgers study. The study, which was published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, compared the levels of nine PFAS chemicals in the blood of volunteer firefighters against levels in the general population. It is the first study to evaluate volunteer firefighters' exposure to PFAS, which are chemicals that accumulate in human bodies and in the environment and are found in everyday items like electronics and carpeting. PFAS have been associated with numerous health conditions that impact firefighters, including cardiovascular disease. Increasing evidence has linked them to cancer.  

VIDEO: Firefighters in one Florida city have clearly been sparking some flames at home. Seven Orlando firefighters have transitioned from fighting fires to pacifiers as they've become dads over the past few months. The Orlando Fire Department welcomed three baby girls and four boys during the pandemic and happily reported all moms, dads and babies are doing well. Only a matter of time before these new recruits start to gear up.  

Light the town red to support hometown heroes in commemoration of International Firefighters' Day on Tuesday, May 4. The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation is asking residents, communities, businesses and fire departments from coast to coast to celebrate firefighters — the special men and women who respond to calls for help every day, with pride and compassion. Change the lightbulb on your front porch, or change the color filter shining on your business, to highlight the great work firefighters do every day. "Join us in thanking firefighters for their service as they work the front lines of these troubling times," said Chief Ron Siarnicki, Executive Director of the NFFF. "Our communities have been made stronger by the dedication of firefighters and nowhere is it more evident in their response to COVID-19."  

The state Fire Marshal's Office and the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency are trying to make the public more aware of the threat of people using fire as a weapon. Both agencies released a Fire as a Weapon Guide, which describes people using fire as a weapon as setting fires or firebombs to hurt people and property. Bill Ryan, CISA's regional director for Region 3, said domestic and international authorities are reporting increased cases of fire being used as a weapon, primarily arson and the use of improvised incendiary devices. "We do see an uptick in that," he said. Potential indicators of using fire as a weapon include a reported theft of a large vehicle, suspicious questioning of building floor plans, damaged fire protection systems, unattended items like backpacks, and social media posts promoting using fire as a weapon. "Obviously, there are a bunch of different tactics and techniques out there that people will use wishing to do harm," Ryan said.