HEAVY FIRE IN HALFMOON, NEW YORK TRAILER PARK HOME TURNS FATAL

 HEAVY FIRE IN HALFMOON, NEW YORK TRAILER PARK HOME TURNS FATAL

January 24, 2015

HALFMOON, N.Y. — Officials say a fatal fire happened in the town early this morning.

Fire Chief Art Hursinger with the Clifton Park and Halfmoon Police Department says crews were called in at approximately 1:39 a.m. for a reported structure fire. The Fire Chief says it was a long morning, as he was just returning to the station at 8:00 a.m.

The Chief says the fire happened at a home inside a trailer park, and the trailer involved is a total loss. There is also a confirmed fatality that happened during the fire, but officials are waiting to release the name and address until next of kin is notified.

One firefighter is reported to have suffered a minor injury.

The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Saratoga County Cause and Origin Team.

DOG DIES IN GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA APARTMENT FIRE THAT DISPLACED 20 PEOPLE

DOG DIES IN GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA APARTMENT FIRE THAT DISPLACED 20 PEOPLE

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Updated 11:23 a.m.

GREENSBORO, NC— A dog died in a fire at Timber Hollow Apartments that displaced 15 adults and five children, according to the Greensboro Fire Department.

No people or other pets were injured in the fire, said said Division Fire Chief Kenny Stanley.

Fire officials are still on the scene investigating the fire, the cause of which is unknown, he said. 

About 45 firefighters responded to the 4:19 a.m. fire at 3204 Trent Street, which took about two hours to bring under control, said Stanley said.

---

Updated: 8:28 a.m.

GREENSBORO, NC — A fire at Timber Hollow Apartments that displaced 15 adults and five children started in apartment A, according to the Greensboro Fire Department.

About 45 firefighters responded to the 4:19 a.m. fire at 3204 Trent Street, which took about two hours to bring under control, said Division Fire Chief Kenny Stanley.

Fallen electrical lines around the complex hindered firefighters in their efforts to fight the fire, Stanley said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

---

Posted 7:17 a.m.

GREENSBORO, NC — A fire at Timber Hollow Apartments displaced 15 adults and five children, according to the Greensboro Fire Department.

About 45 firefighters responded to the 4:19 a.m. fire at 3204 Trent Street, which took about 1½ hours to bring under control, said Division Fire Chief Mike Rogers.

No injuries were reported and the American Red Cross is assisting the residents with housing.

McKnight Mill Road and Trent Street in that area are closed because of the fire investigation, Rogers said. Division 

Two units sustained heavy fire damage, two others had fire and smoke damage, and the remaining four were deemed uninhabitable because of potential damage to electrical lines from the blaze, Rogers said.

"The four units had a common attic," he said.

The cause of the fire is unknown; inspectors are awaiting daylight and for some of the smoke inside to clear.

"We're still unable to get in to inspect the building, Rogers said. "We'll be there for several hours."

THE ELDERLY AND THE YOUNG ARE THE MOST FREQUENT VICTIMS OF FIRES: ELDERLY PERSON’S BODY FOUND FOLLOWING FIRE AT HOME IN UNINCORPORATED BARRINGTON, ILLINOIS

THE ELDERLY AND THE YOUNG ARE THE MOST FREQUENT VICTIMS OF FIRES: ELDERLY PERSON’S BODY FOUND FOLLOWING FIRE AT HOME IN UNINCORPORATED BARRINGTON, ILLINOIS

January 24, 2015

BARRINGTON, Ill.

Authorities found a body in a home following a blaze early Saturday in unincorporated Barrington (a suburb of Chicago), police said.

Authorities were called to the fire located in the 21000 block of North 21st Street in unincorporated Barrington at about 1:15 a.m. on Saturday for a reported structure fire, according to a Lake County Sheriff’s Office press release.

When police arrived, the home was fully engulfed in flames. Once the blaze was put out, the body of what is believed to be the 88 year old homeowner was located in an upstairs bedroom, according to the news release.

Positive identification is pending through the Lake County Coroner’s Office.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Division, the Barrington Countryside Fire Department and the Illinois State Fire Marshall’s Office.

Further information will be released by police as it becomes available.

FAA WARNS E-CIGARETTES A FIRE DANGER IN CHECKED AIRLINE BAGGAGE

FAA WARNS E-CIGARETTES A FIRE DANGER IN CHECKED AIRLINE BAGGAGE

 
 

The Federal Aviation Administration is now advising airlines to consider the potential fire risk from e-cigarettes. 

January 24, 2015

Airline passengers should add electronic cigarettes to the list of items that can’t be stored in their checked luggage.

The Federal Aviation Administration, which already bans flammables and explosives in checked baggage, is now advising airlines to consider the potential fire risk from e-cigarettes. While the safety alert issued Friday is voluntary and nonbinding, typically most airlines follow such guidance.

E-cigarettes, which often use lithium batteries to heat liquid nicotine into an inhaled vapor, may still be brought aboard flights in carry-on luggage.

The FAA reported two fires started by e-cigarettes in luggage since August, including a bag that burst into flames in a baggage area at Los Angeles International Airport on Jan. 4.

“These incidents and several others occurring outside of air transportation have shown that e-cigarettes can overheat and cause fires when the heating element is accidentally activated or left on,” the agency said in the alert.

The issue is similar to the FAA’s concern that lithium batteries may catch fire. The FAA has logged at least 47 instances of fires or overheating batteries aboard passenger and cargo carriers around the world since 2009. Of those, at least 39 began in a lithium battery, according to the FAA.

The FAA action follows a Dec. 10 warning on e-cigarettes by the United Nations’ International Civil Aviation Organization. Several incidents have been reported and the ICAO Dangerous Goods Panel is considering possible action, according to its warning.

The FAA reported two fires started by e-cigarettes in luggage since August.

The FAA advisory, known as a Safety Alert for Operators, is the latest to link lithium-based batteries to fires and overheating on aircraft, and comes as the e-cigarette market has grown to a $3 billion industry.

E-cigarettes are a relatively new trend, ballooning from one manufacturer in 2005 to more than 460 brands by 2013, according to the World Health Organization. Large tobacco companies have begun to embrace the niche product, which has been marketed as a safer and more tolerable way to smoke.

The United States and European Union are the biggest markets.

The safety alert, while voluntary, can be issued faster than if the FAA opted to issue new regulations. Most airlines, which are heavily regulated by the FAA for safety, follow such guidance.

Smoking traditional cigarettes on flights isn’t allowed in the United States. The Department of Transportation in 2011 proposed also banning e-cigarettes. The final rule is scheduled to be released on April 30, according to the agency’s calendar of rulemaking.

Airlines already can and do prohibit them.

KIA IS RECALLING NEARLY 87,000 FORTES BECAUSE OF COOLING FAN FIRE RISK

KIA IS RECALLING NEARLY 87,000 FORTES 2014 SEDAN BECAUSE OF COOLING FAN FIRE RISK 

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Kia Motors America is recalling nearly 87,000 of its 2014 Forte sedans because of faulty equipment that could cause the cars to catch fire.

The recall notice issued Saturday affects Kia Fortes made from Dec. 5, 2012, through April 17, 2014. The cooling fan resistor might overheat and melt in those vehicles, increasing the risk of a fire.

The recall is expected to begin Feb. 24.

Owners of 2014 Fortes seeking additional information may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542, or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.