VIDEO: Three firefighters were injured while fighting a fire at a popular League City restaurant on Valentine's Day, according to authorities. According to officials, a fire broke out just before 7 p.m. at Kelley's Country Cookin in the 1500 block of FM 518. When crews arrived, League City Fire Chief Michael Lugo said flames were coming through the roof and were spreading quickly. Several fire departments were helping battle the fire when the roof partially collapsed, injuring three firefighters. They were all treated at the scene and are expected to be OK. None were taken to the hospital. The restaurant was open for business when the fire started and all customers were able to evacuate before fire crews arrived, according to authorities. It's unclear how many people were inside when the fire broke out.  

PHOTOS: Weddings don't always go as planned, but personnel at Travis County Emergency Services District #1 rallied to make sure their crew member had a special one on Monday. The ESD wrote on social media coworkers of driver/operator Dylan Fischer helped organize a last-minute wedding ceremony at Station 101, after it became clear he would have to miss his original wedding plans later that day due to strained staffing. COVID-19 has caused staffing issues for several industries, including in emergency agencies. Battalion Chief Brittney Garner said they must keep a minimum staffing of 19 personnel a day, but with "many" out with COVID-19 and a large fire the day before, she said Fischer knew it would be unlikely he would have time away that day or have an available replacement.  

The Dallas Fire Association is asking the city of Dallas to consider a plan to give paid mental health leave for firefighters. Right now, the city's policy only provides mental health days for police officers. The Dallas Fire Association president says the need for this time off is real. In the past ten years, five Dallas firefighters have died from suicide. Two of those deaths were just since November. Dallas Fire Association President Jim McDade says if the city believes it is a good idea for police to receive up to five mental health days a year, it should do the same for firefighter paramedics who are also on the front lines of traumatic events. "We are there for everything from pediatric to CPR to gunshots to you name it. This is something to make sure our firefighters are taken care of," he said. "I view it as one of the first steps to get someone help who needs help."  

VIDEO/PHOTOS: Firefighters responded to a large grass fire in Wise County on Monday, Feb. 14. It was burning off FM 4698 and CR 51 east of Eugene Airport near Boyd. The now estimated 300-acre fire was about 90% contained and crews were monitoring hotspots as of 10:00 p.m. A vacant house caught fire shortly before 4:00 p.m. There have been no reports of injuries. At one point more than a dozen horses could be seen running near the area. The Paradise Fire Department is on the scene along with the Tarrant County Fire Marshal and the Fort Worth Fire Department. A plane also dropped fire retardant on the flames later in the afternoon, trying to help put out the fire.  

You wouldn't be able to tell, but this time last year Texas was dealing with record snowfall. "We had more snow in that week than we had I think in the history or at least since the 80s," WFPD Fire Chief Ken Prillaman said. And power grid failures. "We had more power outages since the tornado of 1979," Prillaman said. That dragged on for five straight days in February of 2021. "We had the coldest sustained temperatures, maybe in our history and we had the first statewide declaration of emergency in the middle of a pandemic," Prillaman said. "Any one of those taxes an organization or jurisdiction like ours, so to have, in essence, all five of those going at the same time, really put a stress on the system." During that stretch, WFFD was plenty busy responding to almost 10 house fires in five days and countless other calls for help as many were braving the cold in the dark.  

Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Department of Emergency Management to prepare state resources for possible wildfires in West Texas and across the state Monday. The National Weather Service has warned that elevated to critical fire weather is possible Tuesday from the Panhandle to South Texas, and the Texas A&M Forest Service warns of "an active wildfire period" in Lubbock and Amarillo through Wednesday. "As strong winds and increased fire dangers are forecasted across the Lone Star State, Texans are encouraged to stay weather-aware and heed guidance from their local officials to keep their loved ones safe," Gov. Abbott said. Fire chiefs and fire marshals around Lubbock explained the risks and urged the public to act responsibly to mitigate them.  

A dramatic video of a firefight in Sherman Oaks shows the moment when a Los Angeles firefighter falls through the roof of a garage that had caught on fire. Remarkably that firefighter was not hurt, according to officials. Advertisement The fire broke out at a home in the 4500 block of N. Sunnyslope Avenue just before 6 p.m. It took 26 firefighters about 14 minutes to put out the fire, the L.A. Fire Department said. Firefighters were seen working on the roof of the home's smoldering garage when it suddenly collapsed, and that firefighter rode the roof down into the interior of the garage. Fellow crew members rush inside to help. Moments later, they were all seen coming out unharmed. The fire was contained to the garage, and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.  

VIDEO: This week marks 20 years since a prank at a student apartment complex turned deadly in Greensboro. Janet Danahey, a UNCG student, set outside items on fire at a Campus Walk apartment. She said she was trying to get back at an ex-boyfriend. The fire spread to the entire building. Four people, sisters Rachel and Donna Llewellyn, Elizabeth Harris and Ryan Bek, died, and many others were injured. It was the deadliest fire in Greensboro history when it happened. David Douglas was the chief fire investigator when it happened. He said he thinks of it every year. "I feel sad for the people who lost their kids," Douglas said. "I obviously always think about that but also for all the other people impacted, as a firefighter, how fire traumatizes people." Danahey was sentenced to life in prison without parole.  

VIDEO: Gabriel Shaffer had just gone back inside from watching Krewe du Vieux when he says he saw the bright light from a flame thrower out his back window. According to police this happened Saturday evening in the 900 block of Royal St. "It was dumb and disrespectful at the same time in my head," said Shaffer. The New Orleans fire code states a permit is needed for the use of any "open flame device" for display, entertainment, amusement or non-food warming purposes. The gallery owner who posted the video to his Instagram says he wished he would have gone over to tell them to stop, but he froze in disbelief of what he was witnessing. "There was a lot of obvious flaws in the logic that was happening there…let alone the disrespect to the block," said Shaffer.  

With less than a week to go before it stops accepting applications, the Dayton Fire Department says it could have its most diverse pool of fire recruit applicants ever. The fire department is overwhelmingly white but has become more diverse in recent years. Officials say new, enhanced and ongoing initiatives to reach minorities and women seem to be working. "While there is more work still to be done, the Dayton Fire Department is making clear progress in achieving a more diverse and inclusive workforce," said Dayton Fire Capt. Brad French. The fire department started accepting applications for its recruit classes in early January, and the deadline to apply is Sunday, Feb. 20. The city has received more than 680 applications, and early data suggest this could be the most diverse group of applicants in the department's 159-year history, officials said.  

PHOTOS/VIDEO: Waukon firefighters used hundreds of thousands of gallons of water to fight the fire, running through Waukon's water supply. Schools in the community held virtual class Monday and businesses had reduced hours due to the water issues. City officials say the issue was too much water going through a strained system. "So we were constantly, constantly pumping to maintain water levels to fight the fire as well as pressures throughout the city," said Gary Boden, Waukon's City Manager. "And over time those pumps took a hit." Firefighters were fighting the fire downtown until late Sunday night around midnight. They have continued to try to put out the smoldering wreckage through the morning. Boden said firefighters will have to continue monitoring the debris for re-ignitions until the site is totally clear.