Results of the state’s survey of all 272 assisted living residences in Massachusetts in the wake of a deadly fire in Fall River are in and they will soon be distributed to local fire departments as the state imposes a new annual safety requirement for the facilities.
Ten residents of the Gabriel House assisted living center in Fall River died in a fire there in July, raising questions about safety and preparedness at the centers that operate somewhere between entirely independent living and places like nursing homes. Among the spate of safety-focused changes that Gov. Maura Healey announced in the immediate wake of the fire was the survey that led to Thursday’s new requirements.
The results will be distributed to all fire departments, since they have jurisdiction over enforcement of the state’s fire code, and the Executive Office of Aging & Independence will begin requiring assisted living residences to secure an annual sign-off from their municipal fire department, Healey’s office said.
“The Gabriel House fire was a terrible tragedy. It’s on all of us to do everything we can to enhance the safety of all residents and staff at Assisted Living Residences across the state. That’s why I took immediate action after the fire, including requiring this survey which will help ALRs and local fire departments identify and address areas of improvement,” Healey said. “We appreciate all of the ALRs for their responsiveness and will continue to work with them and local fire officials to improve emergency preparedness and give residents, families and staff the peace of mind they deserve.”
The governor’s office said Thursday the “vast majority of residences reported strong preparedness measures” but responses from 36 residences (13%) revealed “opportunities to further strengthen their approach to fire drills, mutual aid plans, or emergency coordination protocols.” Aging & Independence will ask those facilities to submit a corrective action plan within 45 days and the state will conduct a “targeted review” of their training logs, drill performance, and emergency preparedness protocols.
Most assisted living residences (189 facilities or 69%) self-identified at least one area where they were not aligned with best practices for fire or building safety. The administration said things like installing a kitchen hood extinguisher, fire pumps or fire-rated walls are recommended but not required in the facilities since they are not licensed health care centers. The governor’s office said many assisted living residences operate out of older buildings and that the findings “do not indicate that buildings are currently unsafe or out of compliance with building codes but rather point to areas where municipalities and operators can work together to enhance resident protection.”
One person was cited for careless driving after a fiery crash between two semitrucks closed Interstate 70 in Aurora for several hours Friday morning.
The crash happened on eastbound I-70 just west of E-470 at 8:26 a.m. when the driver of a 2020 Volvo semi rear-ended a 2026 Peterbilt semi before crashing into the median, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
The Volve tipped onto its side, spilled plastic cargo into westbound lanes and caught fire.
Flames fully engulfed the Volvo, and the fire shut down both directions of I-70 as emergency crews worked to douse the flames and clean up spilled diesel.
Fire crews contained the fire by 9:25 a.m., and most lanes were reopened by noon, the state patrol said.
Neither driver reported any injuries, and the Volvo driver was cited for careless driving.
Initial reports that the crash involved three semis were later revised.
Investigators are looking into an apartment fire in Minneapolis they’re calling “suspicious,” after the Minneapolis Fire Department rescued a man from a unit on the building’s first floor.
The fire happened late Thursday on the 3200 block of Penn Avenue and prompted a large response, including the crime lab.
The rescued man was given medical care by ambulance, according to the fire department. No other details about his injuries or condition were immediately provided.
Members of the Red Cross are helping four residents, as the home is now considered uninhabitable.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated.
WCCO has reached out to Minneapolis police for additional information.
Fighting wildfires is a massive logistical challenge—a high-stakes puzzle where every move counts. At their core, wildfires are optimization problems: How do you allocate limited resources like water, personnel, and aircraft to have the greatest impact? Which areas must be protected first, and how do you predict and stay ahead of a fire’s unpredictable behavior? Add in dynamic factors like shifting weather patterns and road traffic, and the complexity becomes even more staggering.
Following the tragic Los Angeles fires of 2025, many of us find ourselves asking, “How can we prevent this from happening in the future?”
The answer, perhaps, lies in quantum logic: this is exactly the kind of problem that quantum logic was built to solve.
Classical computers can crunch numbers, but they’re limited—they analyze a subset of possibilities and find a “good enough” solution. Quantum computers, however, can evaluate all possibilities simultaneously, calculating optimal strategies in fractions of a second.
An Inc.com Featured Presentation
What Could Quantum Do for Firefighting?
Who would you rather have allocating resources during the most critical times, an overtaxed fire chief on the ground, or one that is assisted by an all-seeing quantum computer factoring in every variable, including burning ember trajectory and water resource allocation?
Quantum computing thrives in scenarios with complex, dynamic variables. For wildfire management, its potential is game-changing:
• Fire Spread Prediction: Simulate fire behavior in real time, using live data like wind changes, humidity, and terrain.
• Resource Allocation: Optimize the placement of water, crews, and aircraft/drone for maximum impact.
• Critical Prioritization: Identify choke points or high-risk zones where intervention is most needed.
• Scenario Testing: Instantly model “what-if” scenarios to evaluate the outcomes of different strategies.
This precision could save lives, homes, and communities.
But Are Quantum Computers Ready?
There has been a lot of talk about the potential of quantum computers, and when they will actually be ready. While the computers themselves could still be a decade or more away, the good news is that solving large-scale optimization problems is possible today.
What makes this exciting is that quantum algorithms don’t require fully developed quantum computers—they can run on today’s most sophisticated classical systems, delivering quantum-inspired solutions now. Players in the space such as D-Wave, Microsoft Azure, and Entanglement (full disclosure: I’m an investor in Entanglement) have already made major headway in this field, each bringing their own approaches to tackle optimization challenges.
Their tools, like QUBOs (quadratic unconstrained binary optimization) and other combinatorial optimization solvers can analyze massive data sets and evaluate all possibilities simultaneously, finding the best answer in real time.
Fighting Fire (and insurance companies) with Quantum Logic
Insurance companies are already using math to predict the odds of losing homes, often leaving homeowners and governments scrambling to react.
What if we could flip the script? Leveraging quantum math to improve the odds for homeowners? We can make higher-risk areas safer and re-insurable, helping to rebuild communities and ensure their sustainability for their long-term.
Early progress has been made in the field of fire prevention. The U.S. Army, according to a report in May, used quantum computing to plan fuel breaks—a brush management technique that stops wildfires from spreading.
Wildfires are devastating, but with the right focus and tools, we can fight back—with precision, strategy, and quantum math on our side.
More than 100 firefighters and a hazardous materials team were working Wednesday night to combat a fire involving lithium ion batteries and prototype cars at General Motors’ design studio in Pasadena, authorities said.
At one point, a firefighter was trapped in the structure amid the ferocious blaze and sent out a mayday call.
The Pasadena Fire Department responded to the fire in the 600 block of Sierra Madre Villa Avenue at 5:50 p.m., according to department spokesperson Lisa Derderian. The incident was declared a four-alarm fire — signifying a catastrophic blaze that requires the mobilization of significant fire department resources — due to the scale of the structure and the hazardous materials involved.
A firefighter is among dozens battling a fire Wednesday at the General Motors design studio in Pasadena.
(Hon Wing Chiu / For The Times)
“This is one of the largest structure fires we’ve had in Pasadena in many, many years,” Derderian said.
Preliminary reports indicated that lithium ion batteries and concept cars burned inside the building; however, the incident remained active Wednesday evening, and the cause of the fire is under investigation, she said. Some of the burned cars appeared to be gasoline-powered vehicles.
It took firefighters more than an hour to track down the source of the blaze as thick smoke engulfed the 149,000-square-foot campus. General Motors invested more than $71 million in 2021 to build the three-building facility as a new base for its Advanced Design Center.
The blaze is challenging to combat as crews cannot use water to extinguish lithium ion battery fires. Doing so can cause a destabilizing chemical reaction, leading more batteries to catch fire or explode.
“Firefighters on scene have trained in scenarios like this, but it does put a different twist on extinguishing fires,” Derderian said.
Large lithium ion battery fires can take several hours or even days to render safe.
The fire burned lithium ion batteries and concept cars at the General Motors facility, officials said.
(Hon Wing Chiu / For The Times)
When one battery cell overheats, it can trigger a chain reaction where nearby cells also overheat. This reaction releases heat and toxic gases and can continue deep inside the battery pack long after visible flames are put out.
There was a mayday call when a firefighter became trapped inside the fire-engulfed building Wednesday evening. But fire crews were able to locate him and pull him out of the structure without injuries.
“He did not wish to be transported [to a hospital], but it was a very scary few minutes there until they determined that he was OK,” Derderian said.
Fire crews are searching the entire campus to ensure there is no one else trapped inside, she said. Crews will remain on scene overnight as they continue to deal with the hazardous materials involved in the blaze.
The end of a school day is normally routine in Carrie Thorpe’s neighborhood, but a couple weeks ago, as her daughter was getting dropped off, she noticed smoke and flames coming from under the bus. CBS News Minnesota’s John Lauritsen has the story.
Wood frames are rising from the ashes of burned-out lots in Pacific Palisades, signaling the start of a new era for the fire-torn community. But down the road in Malibu, the scene is bleak.
Cars wind through a gauntlet of traffic cones and caution tape. Sweeping ocean views are sullied by hollow shells of graffiti-tagged homes and miles of chain-link fencing.
Nearly a year after the Palisades fire, one of Southern California’s most iconic communities is frozen in place.
In Altadena and Pacific Palisades, the two communities hit hardest by the January fires, there are rebuilding permits aplenty. The city of L.A., which is handling most permits in the Palisades, has issued 801 — around 43% of the total applications received, according to data from the state’s rebuilding dashboard. L.A. County, which is handling most permits in Altadena, has issued 577 — around 26% of the total applications received.
So far, Malibu has issued four — about 2% of the total applications received.
“It’s depressing,” said Abe Roy, Malibu resident and professional builder.
In May, Roy was appointed as the city’s first Rebuild Ambassador, a volunteer role created to find solutions to administrative obstacles and speed up the rebuild. He publicly resigned last month, citing frustrations with the slow permitting process.
“If this current pace continues, rebuilding will take way longer than a decade,” he said.
A view of cleared lots and sparse construction after the Palisades fire in the Sunset Mesa neighborhood of eastern Malibu.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
A buyer’s market
In contrast to other California communities, where sprawl and expansion led to skyrocketing populations over the last few decades, Malibu has long embraced “slow growth.” Fewer live there now than when the city was incorporated 34 years ago.
But after roughly 720 Malibu homes burned in the Palisades fire, burned-out lots are sitting empty. Locals are worried that the city may never get fully back on its feet, and property values will suffer. And in a place like Malibu — one of the most expensive markets in the country, where a 10% price drop can mean millions of dollars lost — property values are king.
Of the 160 lots listed this year that are still on the market, 47 have received a price cut.
In the Big Rock neighborhood, a burned lot listed for $1.65 million in September, but that price has already been lowered twice. On Las Flores Beach, an oceanfront parcel hit the market for $3 million in April, but with no takers, relisted for $1.95 million in October.
Roughly 75 lots have sold in Malibu since the fire. But as more homeowners decide to sell instead of rebuild, sales are slowing down — and a buyer’s market is emerging.
“Supply is exceeding demand, and lots are selling anywhere from a 20 to 60% discount,” Roy said. “That’s a premonition for a freefall.”
Roy said the overwhelming majority of residents want to stay and simply replace the home they have. But as applications get kicked back for corrections, and the rebuilding timeline turns from months to years, many are getting discouraged and choosing to sell.
“Remodeling a kitchen or bathroom is onerous for most people. But building a house from the ground up is almost impossible,” Roy said. “After a while, you raise your hand and say, ‘I don’t know how long I can be on this treadmill.’”
Real estate agent Daniel Milstein is currently listing a 3.25-acre lot on a promontory in Carbon Canyon that once held a Mediterranean mansion formerly owned by record producer David Foster. Before the fire, it was listed for $35 million.
After it burned, the lot returned to market at $16 million. But with the slowing market, Milstein is planning to trim the price down to $12 million.
“The property is worth a lot more, but the nuances of building here and the limited permits issued have led to a setback in the market,” he said. “The value will be higher down the road, but there’s a discount for buyers right now.”
Milstein added that the buyer pool is limited to people who can afford to park their money for a while — three years, six years, maybe more. For those hoping to build a house right away, Malibu isn’t an option.
But Milstein said that’s by design.
“Malibu is stringent on permits. But that’s where the value is,” Milstein said. “It’s exclusive. And those that understand that value will be very happy with their property values down the road.”
In the meantime, locals who lost homes are stuck in limbo.
Permit trouble
The choice of whether to sell or stay has been well-documented over the last year, with homeowners in Altadena and Pacific Palisades speaking out about their decision-making process.
But Malibu locals — permit-less and facing rebuild timelines significantly longer than their fellow rebuilding communities — are a bit more circumspect. The Times reached out to over a dozen homeowners with lots on the market, but none wanted to publicly participate in the story.
One homeowner, who requested anonymity for fear of retribution from neighbors or the city, called the past few months “a nightmare.”
“I have friends a few miles east in Pacific Palisades who are starting to build already. I submitted my applications in the spring, the same time as them, but it still hasn’t gotten approved,” said the homeowner, whose Malibu home burned down in January.
The homeowner planned to rebuild the same house that was there before, but their application was sent back because the plans didn’t comply with FEMA’s updated flood elevation standards, which require many rebuilt oceanfront homes to sit higher above the sand.
It’s a snag that several have run into over the past year. One local, whose house survived but sustained smoke damage, told Fox 11 that he may be forced to demolish the property in order to comply with the heightened elevation standards.
Comedian and podcaster Adam Carolla has emerged as a face of the frustration building in Malibu, vlogging about the bleak state of the city. He claims that Malibu is emphasizing the wrong things in its requirements for rebuilding.
Carolla visited a construction site on the beach that was installing 30 caissons six stories deep into the ground. Between the caissons, the seawall and retaining wall, the crew estimated it would cost $2 million to $3 million to install the foundation.
“It’s totally unnecessary. The former structure that was there lasted 75 years, and the tide didn’t get it, the fire did,” Carolla said. “If telephone poles sunk into the soil worked for 75 years, why do we need to build Hitler’s bunker under the sand?”
Carolla said it’s a symptom of the larger trend across L.A. that he regularly complains about: regulations and over-engineering bogging development down to the point where no one can afford to build.
Real estate agent Jason Ventress said the strict rules are limiting the buyer pool for his latest listing, a $12.5-million burned lot spanning half an acre on the ocean.
“The city is bogged down by confusion and interpretations of newly implemented laws that are being contested,” Ventress said.
In addition to the FEMA height requirements, he pointed to Malibu’s new septic standards, which requires rebuilders to replace existing septic systems with onsite wastewater treatment systems, which can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to install.
Ventress, a fire victim himself dealing with a daunting rebuild, credited the Malibu Rebuild Center as a helpful resource to locals who lost their homes. Opened in March, it serves as a one-stop shop for both homeowners and contractors to ask questions and get help submitting applications.
Yolanda Bundy, who runs the center under her role as Community Development Director, said of the 720 families impacted by the fire, 585 have visited.
Bundy said it’s a necessary resource, since building in Malibu — a land of eroding cliffs and rising sea levels — is trickier than building in the flat lots found in Altadena and parts of the Palisades. She said 50% of burned homes were on the water, and 30% were on steep slopes.
“These homes require septic systems, sea walls, retaining walls and complex foundations. Those come with restrictions,” Bundy said.
Acknowledging the slow pace of permits, Bundy’s team has launched a handful of strategies aimed at streamlining the approval process, highlighting the changes at an Oct. 15 City Council meeting.
According to Bundy, one of the biggest reasons for applications getting bogged down is architectural plans missing necessary notes and numbers. So the city created templates that architects can use to avoid corrections.
The city also trimmed the 12-step application intake procedure down to six steps and beefed up its staff, hiring a case manager to serve as a bridge between staff and homeowners.
Despite only four building permits being issued, Bundy said the collective rebuild is further along than the number suggests. Applications have to pass through two phases: the planning and entitlement phase, and the building and safety review phase. Bundy said half of the roughly 160 applications have passed through planning, but are still waiting to get through the building phase.
“It’s an oversimplification to say that we’re not making any progress compared to L.A.,” Bundy said. “Families are frustrated, but I want every family to know we’re doing our best to get them home.”
Lost identity
As rebuilds get costlier, locals are getting concerned that by the time Malibu eventually gets back on its feet, it won’t feel the same. Lifelong residences will be replaced by Airbnbs, development groups and deep-pocketed foreign buyers with enough time and money to navigate the laborious permit process.
Two brothers from New Zealand bought up $65 million worth of burned-out lots on the beach this year. Ventress said he’s fielding interest from a Canadian development group and a Miami hedge fund for his oceanfront listing.
Milstein said he’s noticed a surge in interest from Europe, Canada and Asia, and roughly a third of his inquiries this year have come from international networks such as private banks and wealth managers.
“There’s fear that Malibu’s identity will change, and that might fuel folks to move as well,” Roy said. “It might not be the Malibu we loved for years, where the bartender knows your drink and you see your neighbors at the local restaurants.”
But Roy said the city should welcome all buyers, international or not. He spoke with the New Zealand duo and said he supports their vision of adding housing.
“People selling lots are in dire straits. They don’t care whether offers come from international buyers or not,” he said. “As long as those people are believing in the future of Malibu and willing to invest.”
Voices across Malibu say the only solution is issuing permits quicker so fire victims want to come back.
“Malibu is a way of life. Most of us are doing our darndest to maintain that way of life,” Ventress said. Seconds later, while driving down Pacific Coast Highway, he passed a naked man walking down the beach.
“He’s got a metal detector or something…no wait, it’s a golf club!” he exclaimed over the phone. “Right now, it’s the wild, wild west out here.”
Footage taken from CBS Miami’s Chopper 4 helicopter show flames and smoke coming out of one of the units at the Edgewater Beach Towers, a 13-story oceanfront condominium complex located at 400 North Surf Road.
CBS Miami Chopper 4
Firefighters responded to a three-alarm fire Tuesday evening at a highrise condominium on Hollywood Beach.
According to emergency dispatch scanner traffic, the blaze happened around 5:30 p.m. at the 13-story building located at New York Street and North Surf Road.
Miami Herald news partner CBS 4 Miami’s helicopter shot footage of flames and heavy smoke coming from one of the top floor units.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
David Goodhue covers the Florida Keys and South Florida for FLKeysNews.com and the Miami Herald. Before joining the Herald, he covered Congress, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy in Washington, D.C. He is a graduate of the University of Delaware.
There were some scary moments at a Bethel, Minnesota, bus stop earlier this month. A school bus caught fire while driving kids home.
The end of the school day is normally routine in Kari Thorp’s neighborhood. But a couple weeks ago, as her daughter was getting dropped off, Throp noticed smoke and flames coming from under the bus and alerted the driver.
“It was crazy. I’m just thankful that he was very calm,” said Thorp.
They worked quickly to get all 22 kids off, safely. Her Ring doorbell captured the East Bethel Elementary students gathering in front of her house, as the flames began to spread.
“Kids were crying. Kids were scared and freaking out,” said Thorp. “It was quite emotional and kind of frantic.”
Within minutes, the fire had taken over the front of the bus.
“It moved pretty fast. It was probably within 15 minutes that thing was engulfed,” said Throp. “It was crazy to see the tires and hear the tires explode.”
The school bus fire captured from Kari Throp’s Ring camera.
Kari Thorpe
School staff and volunteer firefighters arrived quickly. They got the flames under control, and it was when the bus was finally towed away that you could see just how intense the fire was. The heat melted part of the road in front of Thorp’s house. There is still some glass in parts of the road.
In the end, some backpacks, some lunch boxes, and a school bus were lost in the fire. But Thorp and other parents along this street know things could have been much worse.
She and the bus driver were recognized by parents and school leaders for their heroic efforts. As investigators work to figure out what caused the fire, Thorp thinks about what might have happened if she hadn’t seen the flames.
“I don’t think he would have gotten very far. And I don’t think we would have been able to get those kids off the bus as fast. I don’t know what would have happened. Because a lot of little ones sit up front and that’s where it all started, was right up front,” said Thorp.
In a statement, St. Francis Area Schools recognized Thorp, bus driver Rick Gratton and others for helping the kids to safety. Parents say a recent bus safety course at school may have helped with the quick evacuation.
LINCOLN CITY, Ore. – A person died Sunday afternoon after being swept out to sea near the mouth of Siletz Bay, according to North Lincoln Fire & Rescue.
Emergency crews were dispatched around 3:40 p.m. after 911 callers reported someone caught in a strong current and unable to return to shore. Rescue teams from NLFR arrived within minutes and launched two jet skis to search for the victim.
The U.S. Coast Guard assisted in the search with two lifeboats and a helicopter. Lincoln City police deployed a drone to aid in the effort, while the Depoe Bay Fire District provided additional support on scene.
Despite the rapid and coordinated response, the individual was found and pronounced dead. The Oregon State Police is leading the investigation.
In a statement, NLFR extended condolences to the victim’s family and reminded the public to use extreme caution near the ocean.
“Sneaker waves can strike without warning,” the agency said. “Never turn your back on the ocean. If the sand is wet, the water has already reached that point.”
VANCOUVER, Wash. – Fire crews responded early Monday to a small fire on the roof of a commercial building in Vancouver.
The Vancouver Fire Department was dispatched around 5 a.m. to NW Fruit Valley Road after a fire alarm was triggered. The response was upgraded to a full commercial structure assignment when a 911 caller reported a possible fire on the roof.
Firefighters arriving on scene found a small blaze that was mostly extinguished. Crews used chainsaws to cut through roofing material to ensure the fire was fully out, the department said in a news release.
Most responding units were cleared without needing to take action. No injuries were reported, and the business remains open and fully operational.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Vancouver Fire Marshal’s Office.
There is “no credible evidence” that the fire that destroyed businesses in the Caribou Village Shopping Center in Nederland last week was intentionally set, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday afternoon.
The final determination on the origin and cause of the fire is pending, as detectives await the outcome of evidence submitted to a lab for testing and analysis, according to a news release.
And investigator with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives carries evidence from the Caribou Village Shopping Center in Nederland on Thursday. (Matthew Jonas/Staff Photographer)
Over the past week, an investigative team has conducted interviews, has reviewed surveillance footage, has analyzed photographs and videos submitted by the public, and has excavated the fire scene to collect evidence.
Investigators from the sheriff’s office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives National Response Team; the Nederland Fire Protection District; the Colorado Bureau of Investigation; and the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control are all working on the case. It was not clear how long investigators will remain on scene.
The fire spread quickly through the shopping center in the predawn hours of Oct. 9, destroying more than a dozen businesses. No people were injured in the blaze, but all of the animals at the Wild Bear Nature Center perished. The fire did not spread to the nearby B&F Mountain Market or the Carousel of Happiness. The market, the town’s only grocery store, reopened Sunday. The carousel reopened Thursday.
Seventeen businesses and the sheriff’s office Nederland substation were a “complete structural loss,” the sheriff’s office said in Thursday’s release.
Once investigators reach a final determination of origin and cause, the sheriff’s office, Nederland Fire Protection District and the ATF will provide an update. It was not immediately clear how long that would take.
Big Springs Drive, behind the Caribou Village Shopping Center, is now open.
Investigators with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Nederland Fire Protection District are seen at the Caribou Village Shopping Center in Nederland on Thursday. (Matthew Jonas/Staff Photographer)
Normally, Colton the dog is a very good boy. The Sasser family from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was shocked after their very sweet boy managed to start a fire in their home last year. David Sasser with Chapel Hill Fire Rescue said they normally crate Colton, but on this particular day, they left the house to visit with family. The curious and playful dog was having the time of his life while playing in the family room and managed to pull a few items off the counter. That’s when Colton got hold of a lithium rechargeable backup battery. The battery then caught a rug on fire. “Thankfully, we have a monitored alarm system, so once Colton started the fire, our local department was called to respond,” Sasser said. He also said that everyone was safe; however, “Colton’s battery privileges have been revoked,” he said.What to know about lithium batteries:Stop using the battery if you notice these problems: • Odor • Change in color • Too much heat • Change in shape • Leaking • Odd noises Battery Disposal How to dispose of batteries: • Do not put lithium-ion batteries in the trash. • Recycling is always the best option. • Take batteries to a battery recycling location or contact your community for disposal instructions. • Do not put discarded batteries in piles. Find out more about fire safety here.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. —
Normally, Colton the dog is a very good boy.
The Sasser family from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was shocked after their very sweet boy managed to start a fire in their home last year. David Sasser with Chapel Hill Fire Rescue said they normally crate Colton, but on this particular day, they left the house to visit with family.
The curious and playful dog was having the time of his life while playing in the family room and managed to pull a few items off the counter. That’s when Colton got hold of a lithium rechargeable backup battery. The battery then caught a rug on fire.
“Thankfully, we have a monitored alarm system, so once Colton started the fire, our local department was called to respond,” Sasser said. He also said that everyone was safe; however, “Colton’s battery privileges have been revoked,” he said.
What to know about lithium batteries:
Stop using the battery if you notice these problems:
• Odor
• Change in color
• Too much heat
• Change in shape
• Leaking
• Odd noises Battery Disposal
How to dispose of batteries:
• Do not put lithium-ion batteries in the trash.
• Recycling is always the best option.
• Take batteries to a battery recycling location or contact your community for disposal instructions.
WEST NEWBURY — In support of the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts and the State Fire Marshals Office, the West Newbury and Merrimac fire departments are urging residents to check their smoke alarms as alarm models with lifesaving batteries are nearing the end of their lifespans.
Smoke detectors and devices with long-life batteries last roughly 10 years.
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Two families are now without a place to live after a home explosion in Hibbing, Minnesota, lead to a devastating fire on Sunday.
According to the Hibbing Fire Department, firefighters were called to a house explosion near 22nd and 9th Avenue East just after 6:30 p.m. When crews arrived on scene, they found a two-story home fully ablaze.
The fire was able to spread to a neighboring home. The fire department says the fire was under control by 9:15 p.m., but was not fully extinguished.
An online fundraiser for the family of the initial explosion and subsequent fire states that three people, two adults and a 4-year-old, lost everything in their home. One of the adults is currently in a metro area hospital “fighting for his life” according to the fundraiser.
A second online fundraiser for the neighboring family states that the couple living there were able to escape, but lost their two cats in the fire. The fundraiser also states the couple lost everything in the fire.
Several people were hurt after a large scrap metal debris pile caught fire in Lorton, Virginia, leading police to shut down Route 1 on Tuesday afternoon, according to Fairfax County Fire and Rescue.
Listen to WTOP Traffic on the 8s for the latest impact on the roadway.
Several people were hurt after a large scrap metal debris pile caught fire in Lorton, Virginia, leading police to shut down Route 1 on Tuesday afternoon, according to Fairfax County Fire and Rescue.
Firefighters have extinguished the fire at a scrap metal facility in the 9900 block of Richmond Highway, according to the department, after “delayering” and cooling all the material in the pile. Hazmat crews are monitoring the air near the industrial area.
A pile of scrap metal caught fire in Lorton, Virginia, on Oct. 14, 2025.
(Courtesy Fairfax County Fire and Rescue )
Courtesy Fairfax County Fire and Rescue
Smoke is seen from Route 1 in Fairfax County during a fire at a scrap metal facility.
(Courtesy Sallie Twentyman )
Courtesy Sallie Twentyman
“Out of an abundance of caution, residents within a one-mile radius are advised to shelter in place,” the fire department wrote in a post on X. That shelter in place will remain in effect until about 7:30 p.m., fire officials said.
When firefighters first got to the scene at around 1 p.m., they encountered a worker at the site who was trapped in a crane elevated about 40 feet in the air.
“Our initial units were able to climb that tower, access the person, and, utilizing some of our aerial devices, effect a rescue, removing that individual from the crane,” Deputy Chief Greg Hunter said.
That worker was airlifted to the hospital, where he’s receiving treatment for critical injuries, Hunter said.
At least six other people were injured, including at least one firefighter. The firefighter who was hurt was taken to a hospital and is in stable condition, Hunter said. That firefighter is associated with the Fort Belvoir Fire Department.
According to Hunter, high winds were pushing the smoke down and in several different directions, exposing many people on the site to the dense, toxic fumes.
Hunter said firefighters were able to use foam to contain the blaze, and, as of 5 p.m., were “delayering” the pile of scrap metal and cooling the hot materials with water. That process was complete before 6:30 p.m.
Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the fire.
Drivers could see heavy smoke from Route 1; WTOP Traffic reporter Dave Dildine said the road was closed in both directions near Giles Run Road as firefighters worked to control the fire.
Below is the area where it happened.
WTOP’s Scott Gelman contributed to this report.
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Vehicles from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Fire Investigation and Boulder County Sheriff’s Office are seen at the Caribou Village Shopping Center in Nederland on Friday. (Matthew Jonas/Staff Photographer)
Speaking with media at the scene Friday morning, Boulder County sheriff’s spokesman Vinnie Montez said investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Colorado Bureau of Investigation; Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control; and the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office were on the scene.
However, Nederland Fire Protection District Chief Charlie Schmidtmann said none were expected to be able to access the charred remains until Saturday afternoon.
Schmidtmann said there is still no word on the cause or source of the fire, which spread quickly through the shopping center in the predawn hours Thursday, destroying every business located there.
Montez said he did not want to speculate the fire being related to any past threats made at the shopping center. He said that officials plan to “canvas, research, interview and review submitted videos and photos” in their investigation.
He reiterated that there are no reported injuries and no reports of anyone who might have been camping in the area.
The sheriff’s office is asking for anyone who has photos or video from before, during or after the fire to contact the office at bcsotips@bouldercounty.gov, by phone at 303-441-3674, or at bouldercounty.gov/safety/sheriff/.
State, federal help
By 12:40 p.m. Friday, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Rep. Joe Neguse, whose 2nd Congressional District includes Nederland, had arrived to speak with gathered reporters and to offer their help to business owners and others affected by the fire.
U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse speaks as Colorado Gov. Jared Polis looks on during a press conference with local and state representatives at the Caribou Village Shopping Center in Nederland on Friday. (Matthew Jonas/Staff Photographer)
“We look forward to doing everything the state can, with Boulder County, to work with Ned to support the small businesses and, rather, the residents of Nederland at this time,” said Polis said, who called the shopping center “the linchpin of the community.”
Polis said that the state will work to ensure any unemployment insurance gets to affected business owners and employees “seamlessly.” The governor also told reporters that the state could help direct affected locals to the state’s Office of Economic Development for any relevant resources.
The area around the shopping center is expected to be closed for up to a few weeks as investigators determine the origin and cause of the fire, Polis said.
Neguse took the opportunity to note that members of the ATF have been working without pay during the federal government shutdown, adding that he hopes the shutdown comes to a close soon.
He said that business owners and residents affected by the blaze can contact his office if they need help accessing federal assistance or getting any crucial documents.
“This community is a strong community; it is a wonderful, eclectic community,” Neguse said. “It will rally in a way that it has already rallied, and I’m excited to tell my daughter, who loves the (Carousel of Happiness), … that it will be open here in short order.”
With B&F Mountain Market in the background, firefighters extinguish hot spots from a fire at the Caribou Village Shopping Center in Nederland on Thursday. (Matthew Jonas/Staff Photographer)
Effect on community
Nederland’s only supermarket, the B&F Mountain Market, will remain closed “all weekend,” a store manager said early Friday.
When asked how the situation looks, Derek Gregory said he is “not sure.”
The grocery store, which shares a parking lot with the shopping center, was closed and blocked off on Thursday morning. It might have sustained smoke damage, Montez said.
Town Manager Jonathan Cain said that the town hopes to get the store open soon.
“It’s a pretty critical resource not just for the town of Nederland but the entire region,” Cain said, speaking to reporters on Thursday. “We want to keep it open and a resource for the community.”
Nederland Mayor Billy Gilbin, speaking Friday afternoon, said he hopes the B&F Market will open as soon as Monday.
The grocery store is the only one of its size in Nederland. Gilbin said the town’s food pantry has been “beefed up” and that the Mountain People’s Co-op is open for business for those who need groceries in the meantime.
On Friday, one road remained closed due to the fire: Big Springs Drive eastbound from Colo. 119. Motorists headed to subdivisions east of the fire site were asked to use Peakview Road.
Schmidtmann said Friday that firefighters used hundreds of thousands of gallons of water to fight the blaze, adding that the building was up to code but had no fire suppression mechanisms. Residents in the area are no longer being asked to conserve water.
Authorities are searching for a gunman who opened fire at three teenagers in Sun Valley on Friday evening before fleeing in a silver car, authorities said.
The Los Angeles Police Department responded to the reported shooting at 5:37 p.m. Officers found three male teens who had been shot near Vineland Avenue and Arminta Street. The victims, all between 16 and 18 years old, suffered non-life threatening wounds and were taken to hospitals.
The shooter, described as a man in black clothing, was last seen fleeing eastbound on Arminta Street toward Vineland Avenue, according to an LAPD spokesperson. He is believed to be driving a silver Lexus RX SUV and may be armed with a handgun.
Less than a month after a fire devastated a local arts hub, Red Hook Open Studios is going ahead as planned — mostly — this weekend, Oct. 11 and 12.
The annual event invites New Yorkers to explore dozens of usually-private artist studios around the nabe, meet artists, and buy their work directly from the source.
But dozens of those studios and hundreds of pieces of artwork were destroyed in a five-alarm fire at 481 Van Brunt St. on Sept. 18. Many artists lost everything, and even the studios that survived suffered significant water and mold damage and aren’t safe to enter.
The Sept. 18 fire destroyed dozens of studios and hundreds of pieces of art. File photo by Lloyd Mitchell
So Red Hook Open Studios has pivoted.
“There are rumors saying that it’s been cancelled because of the fire but that’s so far from the truth,” said event organizer Deborah Ugoretz.
About 40 artists who had signed up to take part in Open Studios were not impacted by the fire, Ugoretz said. Some, like Ugoretz herself, have studios in parts of the Van Brunt Street warehouse that were unaffected by the blaze. Many others are scattered around the neighborhood, from the waterfront to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.
Red Hook creates the Rebuild Gallery
But supporting those artists who had lost everything has been front of mind since the night of the fire, said Carly Baker Rice, executive director of the Red Hook Business Alliance, a partner of RHOS.
Almost immediately, Sean Moore, the owner of a soon-to-be-opened waterfront yoga studio called The Swan Club, said they could use his space. Thus, the Rebuild Gallery was born, featuring about 50 pieces of art from those affected by the fire.
Some of the artists taking part are exhibiting work they had stored at home, Ugoretz said, or managed to borrow their own pieces from other exhibitions or buyers. Others, like Faye Harnest, created something new.
The Rebuild Gallery at The Swan Club features works from about 50 artists impacted by the fire. Photo courtesy of Ethan Cornell
Harnest, a comic and sculpture artist, had been sharing a studio at 481 Van Brunt St. with three other artists for about a year, she said. But she had been dreaming of working in the building for much longer.
“Every day I was like, this is a dream, this is too good to be true,” she said.
Some of Harnest’s work was saved by chance. The night of the fire, much of her work was on display in galleries and exhibits, far from the warehouse. Her studio mates lost their finished pieces, art supplies, and more.
“The biggest thing for me, besides just losing that dream of a space, was that I had my sketchbooks in there, sketchbooks of the work I’ve been doing for the last couple of years on a graphic memoir I’ve been working on,” Harnest explained.
But she also lost a space to show off her art.
“I had signed up for the Open Studios and was really excited,” she said. “I was just gonna put everything in there and let people, like, touch my sculptures and look through my comics and be able to ask questions.”
When she was asked to be part of the Rebuild Gallery, Harnest decided to create a new piece titled “Are We Safe?”
Harnest’s piece for the Rebuild Gallery, titled “Are We Safe?” Photo courtesy of Faye Harnest
The piece features a large, soft sculpture surrounding a drawing of floating islands and buildings, all asking each other “Are you safe?” and “Are we safe?”
One of the buildings is an homage to 481 Van Brunt St., with its brick walls and large, iconic windows.
“When I started making it, it was about all the artists that lost so much and their grief and just kind of, wanting to make something about that for them,” Harnest said. “It became about the community’s ability to help and their generosity, and then it kind of made me think of the world at large and how there are just so many people in so many places that are not safe … there are other people who are asking if they can help, and who are helping, even if they’re not completely safe for themselves.”
A sliver of 481 Van Brunt St. on the left side of the illustration. Photo courtesy of Faye Harnest
Red Hook Open Studios is a group effort, and this year’s event has needed more volunteers doing more work than before.
Artist Ethan Cornell, one of a number of artists who had studios at Hot Wood Arts, which was devastated by the fire, helped organize the Rebuild Gallery.
Cornell rented a studio at Hot Wood for ten years, he said, and had longed to join the collective for years before a studio became available. Hot Wood offered more than just a space to work, he said, it offered a community of artists supported by founder Megan Suttles, who is also a RHOS co-organizer.
“I had paintings in there that had serious personal history for me, but also works that I had sold, and that people were gonna come pick up, so some things that people had paid for,” he said. “It was, it was sort of multi-level, like, I lost the tools, I lost the artwork, I lost the money, I lost memories.”
Staying busy has helped keep his mind off the loss, Cornell said, and helping with the Rebuild Gallery has kept him plenty occupied.
“It’s been really good,” he said. “People were very appreciative when they came and left work, people have said they’re really glad to have it happen.”
The Rebuild Gallery ensured those artists who lost their space and work could still take part in Red Hook Open Studios.Photo courtesy of Ethan Cornell
It has also highlighted the strength of the community, Cornell said. Some artists have been able to salvage works from 481 Van Brunt St., but the gallery had to ask that those pieces not be exhibited due to mold concerns.
But that message came late for at least one person, who arrived at the gallery with a piece rescued from the warehouse and were told they had to bring it home. For a moment, the artist was fairly upset, Cornell said.
“Alomost immediately they were like, ‘I’m really sorry,’” he said. “And I was like, ‘I’m really sorry too.’ Everybody’s a little jangled up, especially people who actually lost their space. I felt there was a lot of community, even when we were disagreeing or something like that.”
Cornell said he didn’t have a piece hung in the gallery as of Thursday, but has a small painting — about six inches by six inches — that he would try to find a space for.
Supporting artists and celebrating Red Hook Open Studios
Outside the studio tours themselves, RHOS is celebrating its 10th anniversary with an outdoor sculpture garden and live performances throughout the weekend. The event is one of Red Hook’s biggest, and shows off the “hidden” studios and businesses tucked away in its industrial corners, Baker-Rice said.
It’s also an opportunity for New Yorkers to support local artists by buying their work.
“You will not regret it when you buy art that you can afford and you put it on your wall and see it every day,” she said. “Everybody has the power to become their own art collector and grow their collection. And Red Hook Open Studios gives you access to art you can buy and art you can afford.”
Red Hook Open Studios runs Oct. 11+12, 1-6 p.m. Admission is free, find a full list of events and a map of studio locations on the RHOS website.
