VIDEO: Wayne Huffman served as Trinity County Fire Chief for over 60 years, and he retired back in January. Some of those who've had the honor of working beside him say he was a giant in not just the Trinity Fire Department, but in the community itself. "He was the perfect person to be a public servant," says newly appointed Fire Chief Keith Johnson. Wayne died earlier this week from health complications at 83 years old. Chief Johnson stepped into his shoes; shoes he says can never truly be filled. "You know you got a hole, right here in your heart. He was that big a part of us," says Chief Johnson. Along with Wayne, his twin brother Hayne also served as Fire Chief for 50 years before passing from COVID in 2021. As brothers, those who knew them say they lived and breathed Trinity County Fire Department and were an influential part in the department's success.  

Located at 9200 Trimmier Road, the new fire station that the City of Killeen and the Killeen Fire Department broke ground for on May 8 is "imperative and important" for the citizens. "Currently our average response time to this specific area is eight minutes," said Fire Chief James Kubinski. "Our standard and goal that we shoot for, the national standard, is six minutes. By adding this station, we will decrease the response time to below six minutes." The project totals around $22 million and includes funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). City leaders bragged about the project not increasing any debt for the city at the groundbreaking ceremony. The new building will include fire station #4, an emergency operations center and also a training facility.  

The Elm Mott Fire Department was dispatched at 2:47 a.m. Thursday to reports of a fire at an industrial building on Fort Graham Road in McLennan County. Officials say no one was injured as a result of the blaze. At the fire's peak, crews on the scene included responders from the Gholson, Waco, Elm Mott and Lacy Lakeview fire departments. Elm Mott Fire says the cause is still unclear.  

PHOTOS: A woman is dead after police say she crashed her car into a tree near downtown overnight Wednesday, causing it to split in half before catching fire. It happened a little before 2:30 a.m. on Memorial Dr. near Sawyer St. exit when officers say an unidentified woman speeding in her car, crashed sideways into a tree, splitting the vehicle in half. Authorities say the woman was ejected from her car due to the crash's impact and passersby tried helping her before law enforcement and first responders arrived. She was later confirmed to have died from her injuries. Currently, investigators don't suspect the driver to be under the influence, but medical examiners are expected to do a toxicology report to find out for sure.  

A fire destroyed more than a dozen RVs overnight Thursday at Mike Thompson's RV Super Store in Santa Fe Springs. Authorities responded to a possible burglary call at about 12:30 a.m. at the gated property on Firestone Boulevard in southeastern Los Angeles County near the 5 Freeway. Several RVs were in flames when firefighters arrived. Details about a cause of the fire were not immediately available. The property has several security cameras that investigators plan to check for video. No injuries were reported. Firefighters prevented the fire from spreading beyond the dealership. A manager told NBCLA that the damage estimate is about $2 million. The family-owned and operated company started in 1972 and became a Southern California fixture with four locations in the LA, Orange County, Riverside and San Bernardino areas.  

A Union City firefighter was shot early Thursday morning and the shooting is now under investigation. A spokesman for the Union City Police Department said the shooting was accidental. They confirmed the firearm used did not belong to the injured firefighter. A representative for the fire department confirmed to Channel 2 Action News that the shooting occurred at Fire Station No. 2 off Shannon Pkwy. Paramedics took the firefighter to the hospital for treatment of his injuries. Police said the firefighter is in stable condition and expected to make a full recovery.  

On an overwhelming bipartisan 393-13 vote, the House passed a bill today sponsored by New Jersey Reps. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) and Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson) that re-ups a number of key firefighter grant programs. The bill, the Fire Grants and Safety Act, reauthorizes the U.S. Fire Administration, the Assistance to Firefighter Grants (AFG), and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant; it also increases funding for the Fire Administration. "As a former volunteer firefighter, I know the hardship and sacrifices that firefighters make daily to quickly respond to emergencies," Kean said in remarks on the House floor. "This bipartisan and bicameral piece of legislation demonstrates our firm commitment to the safety and the well-being of our firefighters, empowering them to overcome challenges and fulfill their mission of safeguarding our communities."  

VIDEO/PHOTOS: Moline Fire Department has a new way to simulate a fire in any room and practice putting it out. The department purchased the FiAR training system, a device that uses augmented reality to test the user on operating a fire extinguisher properly. The device is a touch screen and mock fire extinguisher, which can place items like a grill, wooden pallets or a car into an environment and simulate different types of fires. "Flammable metals, oils, fats, it lets us practice putting all those types of fires out with those different extinguishers," Moline fire inspector Kevin Sorby said. FiAR grades the user on whether the right fire extinguisher was used, and the proper technique applied. "There's a saying, it's PASS — pull, aim, squeeze, sweep," Sorby explained.