VIDEO: Multiple apartment units caught fire in Addison Monday evening, April 12. It happened near the Dallas North Tollway and Arapaho in the 15800 block of Quorum Drive. The 4-alarm fire started in an attic, the Addison Fire Department said. At least four ladder trucks put water on the fire at the Cortland Addison Circle apartments. Flames were shooting out of multiple apartment units' roofs. More than 120 units were impacted, according to the American Red Cross DFW. There was at least one roof collapse. People and their pets were evacuated and there are no reports of injuries. Firefighters from Carrollton, Coppell and Farmers Branch assisted Addison firefighters put out the flames. The American Red Cross DFW said it is working with property management and the local fire department to identify residents impacted by the fire and help them get food, water and temporary housing.  

Authorities say an industrial fire near Magnolia is contained, but they are asking for the public to avoid the area. The fire was reported off of FM 149. The Montgomery County Fire Marshal's Office says crews have isolated burning fuels by valving off equipment, and a HazMat team is on site monitoring as remaining fuel burns out. No injuries have been reported. The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office says they are assisting in the area of Wildwood Point and Wildwood Circle. The sheriff's office says homes in the affected area have already been evacuated, and the gas company is on scene working on repairs. "Please use alternate routes around the area to avoid delays," the sheriff's office wrote. "There is no reason for alarm or panic, as emergency crews have the situation under control."  

VIDEO: Three families are displaced after a massive fire destroyed their homes Sunday night in Atascosa County. Frantic calls from fire crews coming through the radios asking for more water and manpower. Atascosa County officials said the fire started around 9 p.m. Sunday night off J&M Lane and FM 476. They said someone called 911 reporting they had been burning trash, and the fire suddenly got out of control. At least 10 fire departments and more than 50 firefighters fought the flames for hours in an area that spanned over 3 acres. Officials said the fire was difficult to control due to winds. Five structures were destroyed, three families lost their homes. Officials said two of those structures were abandoned. One of the victim's families posted a GoFundMe, asking for help for their 74-year-old grandfather who needs help rebuilding the home he's lived in for decades. Officials said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.  

The 19-year-old man accused of stealing a Dallas Fire-Rescue ambulance earlier this month visited the fire station the day before and inquired about becoming a firefighter, police say. Feliz Lopez is currently facing a second-degree felony charge of theft of property after being accused of stealing a $230,000 ambulance from Dallas Fire Station 53 on April 5 and leading multiple police agencies on an hourslong chase that only ended when the emergency vehicle got stuck off-road with flat tires. In an arrest affidavit obtained by NBC 5 Friday, firefighter Paul Richter, who is stationed at Fire Station 53, said Lopez visited the station the day before the theft and was asking questions about becoming a DFR firefighter. Richter said Lopez was wearing a mask, gloves and had a wound on his forehead and that something about him made him "very uncomfortable."  

It's no secret that the Borderland is under extreme and exceptional drought conditions, but with dry weather and heat, conditions are ideal for fire spread. "It just takes off quick … faster than you can run — let's put it that way," said West Valley Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief Boyd Smith about fires that can start small, but with the right conditions increase. "We had good water resources — at least better than they had been in 2019 — but then along came last year. 2020, it was not a good year," mentioned Meteorologist Jason Laney with the National Weather Service. Emphasis on "not a good year," since July 2020 to April 2021, the Borderland has only seen nearly 2.5 inches of rain. "We're hopeful that we're going to get some rainfall to help put a dent in this deficit once we get into this summer monsoon season, but right now the drought continues and it continues to affect us in many ways," explained Laney.  

VIDEO: A "suspicious" fire inside a Denton Walmart Monday afternoon caused millions of dollars in product damage, fire officials say a manager told them. The fire happened just before 2 p.m. Monday at the Walmart Supercenter in the 1500 block of S. Loop 288, according to the Denton Fire Department. Images and video posted on social media showed a fire on one of the aisles in the store. Officials said a manager reported millions of dollars in product damage. The cause of the fire was not released and the Denton Fire Marshal is investigating.  

The 19-year-old man accused of stealing a Dallas Fire-Rescue ambulance earlier this month visited the fire station the day before and inquired about becoming a firefighter, police say. Felix Lopez is currently facing a second-degree felony charge of theft of property after being accused of stealing a $230,000 ambulance from Dallas Fire Station 53 on April 5 and leading multiple police agencies on an hourslong chase that only ended when the emergency vehicle got stuck off-road with flat tires. In an arrest affidavit obtained by NBC 5 Friday, firefighter Paul Richter, who is stationed at Fire Station 53, said Lopez visited the station the day before the theft and was asking questions about becoming a DFR firefighter. Richter said Lopez was wearing a mask, gloves and had a wound on his forehead and that something about him made him "very uncomfortable."  

PHOTO: A Vietnam veteran in Stafford County received an unexpected gift from the same first responders who came to his aid when his house caught fire nearly two months ago. On Friday, Robert Mihalak was presented a traditional military shadowbox that contained all of the personal military decorations he earned in the 1960s, but then lost in the Feb. 13 fire at his home. The gift was a labor of love by Stafford County firefighters and retired law enforcement officers who took weeks to prepare it. "Bobby doesn't have anybody," said long-time friend and caregiver Mary Ellen Earls. "He lost his kitten, he lost everything." The soft-spoken 73-year-old was left almost speechless by the gesture, accepting the memento in the small backyard ceremony at Earls' home where he now lives with a simple thank you. "We're very grateful for what you did for our country," said Deputy Fire Marshal Daniel Pappas, a retired Marine Corps master sergeant.  

VIDEO: One year ago, 145 mph winds tore through Chattanooga. First responders jumped into action to help thousands and are now telling their stories of what they saw on that Easter Sunday. "There were trees on top of cars on top of houses through houses, trees on top of trees," recalled Chattanooga Fire Department Battalion Chief David Thompson. Areas like Holly Hills and East Brainerd were covered in tarps one year ago. Homes were destroyed and eleven people in the Tennessee Valley died, including an additional person in Georgia later on. Thompson said it's something that's hard to forget. "I told my family 'I'll see y'all when I see y'all' and grabbed my gear and headed straight into work," said Thompson. First responders left their families to save others. Some lost as much as the people they were helping. "I told him to get Mom, get downstairs and he said 'Son, the house is already blown apart,'" said Chattanooga Fire Department Battalion Chief Terry Knowles.  

A bill to remove oversight on school construction projects could impact student safety in the future, according to some fire chiefs in the state. Proponents of HB 220 say the measure will remove a level of bureaucracy and allow districts to complete projects quicker and cheaper, but opponents, including some fire officials, don't want corners to be cut when it comes to safety. "It's some bad legislation, probably with some good intent," said Alabaster Fire Chief Tim Love. Love is also the head of the Alabama Association of Fire Chiefs. The group is joining several other construction organizations in opposing HB 220. "We are concerned with your large scale issues, say a renovation and we have a fire protection system that fails or we have some sort of building collapse because there is a structural issue," said Love. Love said the proposal allows two year schools and community colleges to plan and construct a building without requiring a third party inspection or plans review.  

As U.S. COVID cases rise, the country is also administering the vaccine shots aimed at preventing the spread of the virus at the swiftest pace ever. Cases are on the rise in 27 states, with Michigan continuing to lead the nation in daily new cases per capita. Following more than 70,000 coronavirus cases reported on Monday, the seven-day average of daily new cases in the U.S. is 68,960, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. That figure is up 7% from one week ago. Michigan again reported the highest level of daily new COVID cases on a per capita basis, according to a CNBC analysis of Johns Hopkins data. On Monday, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said the state should "shut things down" as it deals with the surge and that a boost in COVID-19 vaccinations alone will not stop the spread of the virus.