Firehouse.com

Mar. 21--Chancellor Volunteer Fire and Rescue did not follow standard operating procedures requiring within three days a detailed follow-up report on a Feb. 5 fatal house fire.

Spotsylvania County Fire and Rescue Chief Chris Eudailey said yesterday this was an oversight by the volunteers and that a report will be completed.

The Lt. Robert E. Lee riverboat, once a major restaurant on the bustling St. Louis riverfront that was headed for a rebirth in St. Charles, was destroyed by fire about 3 p.m. today at a repair yard along the Mississippi River at the foot of North Market Street.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.

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A HazMat scare ended with two people in the hospital.

It all started when a fire broke out inside the pool area at the Ocean Walk Resort on North Atlantic Avenue Sunday morning.

Firefighters were able to put the fire out quickly, but had to call in HazMat crews when they realized a five gallon bucket of pool chemicals were being mixed when the fire started.

No guests were injured, but two pool company workers were taken to a local hospital after they experienced breathing problems.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.

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Members of the Chapel Hill Fire Department confirmed that two people were killed in an apartment fire Friday night.

The CHFD responded to reports of the fire at 1816 Legion Road just before 10 p.m. When crews arrived, they said they found a single-story duplex apartment heavily involved in fire.

Four units from Chapel Hill and one unit from Durham were utilized to bring the fire under control by 10:16 p.m.

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Mar. 20--HAYWARD -- A fire in the 12th-floor penthouse of the abandoned Centennial Tower on Foothill Boulevard is being investigated as suspicious, and a neighbor said he believes it could be connected to graffiti that appeared there overnight.

Firefighters were hindered by the lack of supporting infrastructure -- brass fittings that could have been used to pump water up the structure were missing and crews had to haul the hose up stairwells.

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Mar. 20--The West Sacramento Fire Department responded to a large warehouse fire in the industrial district of West Sacramento early this morning.

The fire, which fully engulfed the building, was reported at 5:26 a.m., and smoke from the inferno was carried by the light winds into south Sacramento.

In addition to flames, there were explosions from acetylene, propane and diesel tanks at the site, according to West Sacramento city authorities.

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Mar. 19--Sandra Salinas was in a panic.

Salinas, executive director of the Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary, awoke Friday morning to news that a fire was ripping through the facility she manages, near Durango Road and Grand Teton Drive in the northwest part of the valley.

As she arrived, tears streamed down her face as she rushed to a group of Las Vegas firefighters and sanctuary board members who huddled near the entrance. The blaze had just been extinguished, but firefighters were not yet allowing staff inside.

BATON ROUGE, La. --

Every day across Louisiana, firefighters are busy battling blazes and, in some cases, saving lives.

Soon, firefighters may take on a new role if lawmakers in Baton Rouge approve a new proposed bill.

"It would be firefighters practicing medicine without oversight … no oversight by the gubernatorial-approved EMS commission," said Dr. Jullette M. Saussy.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla.

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Is it boys being boys or bad behavior in a firehouse? Two Orange County firefighters have been fired for making prank phone calls. Those calls were made to the firefighters' female boss, a lieutenant, and they were sexual and crude.

The same lieutenant also claimed there were dirty pictures of women posted inside the firehouse and she felt like some of the firefighters were targeting her.