Authorities in Texas and other states are beginning to re-examine old cases where defendants were sent to prison for setting fires based on expert testimony about burn patterns and charring that today is considered suspect. Nine years ago Texas executed Cameron Todd Willingham for killing his three children in a fire but many experts believe this was a wrongful conviction.
This story says there have been about 200 cases worldwide of spontaneous human combustion. All the research is done on the subject, however, it suggests that there is no such thing and it is simply body fat burning which was usually ignited by an ignition source such as smokers material or a heating or cooking appliance.
Wire harnesses on 2013 model Challengers equipped with V6 engines could overheat from a short circuit and cause a fire. Chrysler is telling customers to stop driving their cars and not to park them “in or near any structures.” Chrysler said it was aware of seven related incidents in which the wires overheated.
At least four aerials and six engines were incorrectly listed in a spreadsheet fire officials provided to D.C. Council’s public safety committee. The firefighters union uncovered the discrepancies by checking serial numbers and conducting a station-by-station inventory.
Consolidation, amalgamation and/or reduction of fire services are increasing trends. In this case two departments are seeking to consolidate into one fire district to increase the number of volunteer firefighters, share equipment and merge services.
Community Care workers who are aware of vulnerable residents who are hearing impaired or mobility challenged will share that information with the fire service to ensure the best possible response.
Damage to building structural elements, elevators, stairs, and fire protection systems caused by the shaking from a major earthquake can play a critical role in the spread of fire and hamper the ability of occupants to evacuate. These are among the conclusions reached in a groundbreaking study of post-earthquake building fire performance conducted in 2012.
One proposal calls for dramatic changes to work schedules such that they concentrate more paramedic shifts during peak times. The union that represents the paramedics agrees with the fire chief that the issue is not, as the firefighters union argues, insufficient resources but a lack of flexibility in the system.
A detailed description of a battery fire on board a Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Boston’s Logan Airport has been released by a US regulator but no cause has been specified.
Every bottle sold of the new Tribute Wine from Distant Cellars, a family-owned winery in Fiddletown, California, will support the work of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.