VIDEO: It is a life and death moment that makes you hold your breath. Even the photographer in the helicopter shooting video of the fire couldn’t help but gasp as the roof started to collapse on the firefighters. “As soon as I felt it going I just reached for that wall,” said Mark Farrell. Mark Farrell is the Dearborn firefighter sliding toward a hole of fire who narrowly escaped being burned alive.
- PUB DATE: 4/3/2012 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: wxyz.com

Bill McLaughlin was 6 weeks in to his new position as Elk Creek Fire Chief when the Lower North Fork Fire started. "Twenty five years of fighting wildfires, and that was probably the most intense I’ve seen yet. Everybody did the best they could. The firefighters just did a fantastic job," said Chief McLaughlin.
- PUB DATE: 4/3/2012 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: thedenverchannel.com

According to a recent report released by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 610 civilian deaths in the United States were attributed to smoking material fires in 2010, a number at or near the all-time-low and well down from the 1980 levels. During 2010 there were an estimated 90,800 smoking material fires resulting in $663 million in direct property damage.
- PUB DATE: 4/3/2012 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: nfpa.org

An Alum Creek man accused of setting a fire that ultimately led to a Davis Creek firefighter's death was among 153 people indicted Friday by a Grand Jury. The indictment handed down against Charles Darren Roberts, 37, of Brounland Road charges him with third-degree arson, fourth-degree arson and first-degree murder in the death of Davis Creek-Ruthdale volunteer firefighter Joey King.
- PUB DATE: 4/3/2012 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: dailymail.com

A Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute training instructor suffered critical injuries during a training exercise on Sunday morning, according to Charles County Sheriff's Office authorities. A driver practicing maneuvers with a fire department training SUV on a cone course in the 500 block of Radio Station Road apparently lost control and hit the instructor.
- PUB DATE: 4/3/2012 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: firehouse.com

Fire department dispatch radios were at hand, pagers on belts, because every one of them, including some of the women, are volunteer firefighters in western York County’s little Sharon. ... The kids, toddlers to teens, played all around – on a trampoline, in the yard, tossing a football – when Katie looked over and yelled, “There’s smoke coming out of the house! Is my house on fire?” The adults rushed to count kids while at the same time running to the porch door, by the kitchen, where smoke was coming out and flames were already pushing through.
- PUB DATE: 4/2/2012 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: heraldonline.com