IN LIAONING PROVINCE, CHINA a fire in a popular restaurant swept through the 3-story structure killing 11 and sending 16 others to the hospital.  Police have arrested two cooks and the restaurant manager.

A FULTON COUNTY, GEORGIA FIREFIGHTER died in a house fire early this morning.  He and another FF were trapped when the floor above them collapsed onto them.  Assoc. Press story here.  Channel 11 video. 

WOW…..CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS?  Sony has developed a color tv screen that is as thin as a sheet of paper.  Just think of the possibilites…you could wear it like a t-shirt,  put it up like wall paper and if you drop it, it won’t break because it bends.

POLICE AND SCHOOL OFFICIALS in Sweden are going around teaching school children not to set themselves on fire and then jump in a lake.

A RECENTLY-RETIRED FIRE MARSHAL IN S.E. MICHIGAN has been charged with evidence tampering, falsifying documents and planting evidence in several cases.  He was the handler of one of five dogs in the state trained to sniff out flammable materials.  He may also be facing charges in several more counties where he was called out to investigate fires.

The Macomb Daily reports:

Law enforcement officials said a Chesterfield Township firefighter saw Wallace “spiking” or dropping a chemical accelerant at the scene of a fire. The firefighter informed Detective Sgt. Brad Kersten of what he had witnessed, and an investigation was launched.

Police and fire officials concocted staged fires for Wallace to work on to see if they could catch him in the act, setting up hidden video cameras to tape his actions. State Police in Gladwin set up a similar operation, also with video surveillance.

Rummel/Times Herald photo
Eastpointe Fire Marshal Jeffrey Wallace watches his arson dog, Cops, sniff through the remains of a barn fire in November on McLain Road in Clyde Township.

FIRE IN A VACANT WAREHOUSE SPREAD to a storage lot filled with car dealers’ new cars.  Unusual wind patterns spread the fire sporadically through the lot and carried embers as far as ½ mile away.  There was an upgraded FD response because of the weather conditions.  At least 53 cars were damaged, some totally. 
LAFD photo

The Los Angeles FD has the full story and excellent photo coverage here.  Channel 9 video here.  Channel 7 video here.

Channel 13 photo

IN WAVERLY, INDIANA, A CAR HYDROPLANED on a wet road into an oncoming fire engine.  Three firefighters and the car’s driver were transported to local hospitals with minor injuries.

WHO’DA THUNK THAT A VOLUNTEER RESCUE SQUAD would be operating right in the heart of Brooklyn?  The Bedford-Stuyvesant Volunteer Ambulance Corps is scraping along with a lot of heart, meagre donations and empty promises from the Borough government.