Bridger Aerospace has welcomed a new Wildland Fire Service Plan announced by the US Departments of Interior and Agriculture.
Rare wildfire threat emerges in New England as NOAA issues new forecast
Climate Impact Company has reported that NOAA has updated its wildland fire forecast for September and October 2025.
From the firehouse to Congress: Bob Brooks takes his fight to Washington
Firefighter and union leader Bob Brooks has officially entered the race for Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District.
21 injured after an explosion and fire on a naval ship in San Diego
Twenty-one people were injured after an explosion and fire on board a ship at the US Naval Base in San Diego, US Navy officials said.
“Seventeen Sailors and four civilians are being treated for non-life threatening injuries at a local hospital,” the US Navy said in a statement.
The sailors on the USS Bonhomme Richard had “minor injuries” from the fire and were taken to a hospital, Lt. Cmdr. Patricia Kreuzberger told CNN earlier Sunday.
The sailors are in stable condition, Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck told journalists Sunday evening. All of the crew is off the ship and accounted for, according to a tweet from the US Pacific Fleet Naval Surface Forces Sunday afternoon.
Firefighters battled a three-alarm fire on the ship Sunday morning, SDFD’s Mónica Muñoz said. Several different agencies worked to fight the blaze.
Two fires crews were still on board the ship Sunday afternoon, Federal Fire San Diego Division Chief Rob Bondurant said in a statement.
“Federal Fire is rotating their crews aboard the ship with U.S. Navy firefighting crews from the waterfront to fight the fire in order to find the seat of the fire and extinguish it,” Bondurant said. “Navy Region Southwest tugs are also continuously combating the fire from the bay.”
As of Sunday evening, firefighters were “at the seat of the fire, if you will,” Sobeck said. The firefighters are clearing compartment spaces in order to close in on the fire, Sobeck said.
“Sailors across this waterfront are absolutely doing a magnificent job,” Sobeck said, “They are saving their ship. We’re seeing just incredible results.”
It’s unclear what started the fire. When the fire was first reported Sunday morning, it was said to be in the lower vehicle storage area, Sobeck said, a “huge, open area where you store a lot of marine equipment and everything else.”
There is no ordnance on board, Sobeck said, “which was our initial concern” in ensuring safety on and around the ship. A safety zone has been set up around the ship, he said.
It is unclear what caused the explosion, Sobeck said. Initial reports indicated a “sort of a backdraft,” or over-pressurisation as the compartment started heating up.
The ship had about a million gallons of fuel, but it’s “well below” many of the heat sources, Sobeck said.
The ship could burn for days, “down to the water line,” San Diego Fire Chief Colin Stowell told CNN’s Erica Hill Sunday afternoon.
Sobeck, though, said the ship will probably be salvageable. “We’re absolutely going to make sure it sails again,” he said.
“She was in a stage of repair anyway,” Sobeck said. “So we’re just gonna get right back at it once we get this thing contained and put out.”
There was an explosion just as personnel were leaving the ship, Stowell said. The Navy has moved two nearby ships away from the scene, it said in a statement.
Secretary of Defence Mark Esper has been briefed on the situation, according to a defence official. Officials called for San Diego Fire Department’s assistance about 9 a.m. local time, Muñoz told CNN.
A second alarm was called at 9:09 a.m. and a third at 9:51 a.m., according to SDFD tweets. The USS Bonhomme Richard is an amphibious assault ship, according to the US Navy.
There were 160 people on board when the fire started, according to the Naval Surface Forces. The ship, which has a crew of 1,000, was undergoing maintenance.
Rosenbauer America donates 24,000 KN95 facemasks to first responders
Rosenbauer America has donated 24,000 KN95 facemasks to first responders as a thank you for their dedication through the COVID-19 pandemic – distributed to fire departments across the United States and Canada.
“Our communities rely on first responders answering calls for service; we need to protect their health and safety,” said John Slawson, Chairman and CEO of Rosenbauer America. “COVID-19 is personal; the virus literally follows responders home, subsequently, threatening the family members of our first responders with infection. Never before have our first responders been so concerned that they have chosen to self-isolate away from their families.”
Rosenbauer’s partner network has been surveying fire departments to determine where this donation can fill gaps in KN95 supplies. “In early March our network partners were going on product demo calls to fire departments; their focus has transitioned to that of ally against COVID-19,” said Slawson. “More than 40% of fire departments lack adequate PPE according to industry experts. We wanted to help in whatever way we could to keep our first responders safe. We are all in this together; we are an ecosystem, and we must continue to be vigilant and support our first responders.”
Sourcewell and FireRescue GPO partner up to meet procurement needs
Sourcewell, a co-operative purchasing organisation providing solutions across the US and Canada, has teamed up with the Western Fire Chiefs Association (WFCA), founder of FireRescue GPO in an attempt to meet the cooperative procurement needs of the nation’s fire service, as well as enhance FireRescue GPO’s ability to aid the fire service.
“With this new partnership, we will significantly grow our fire service and public safety contracts to provide even more options to our public safety community,” said Sourcewell’s Manager of Contact Administration, Tom Perttula.
Revenue generated through FireRescue GPO is shared with the fire chiefs’ associations across the country including the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IFAC), its divisions and state fire chiefs’ associations.
Future solicitations include public safety technology and communications, critical care and resuscitation equipment as well as public safety body armour. “This partnership leverages the power of scale to our co-operative procurement program,” said Chief Jeffery Johnson, CEO of the Western Fire Chiefs Association. “Providing a more effective and comprehensive purchasing experience for our members.”