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INVESTIGATORS HAVE DETERMINED that the house explosion on Long Island that killed an 18-month-old toddler Tuesday was propane related. (See Firegeezer report HERE.) Two 200-lb. propane bottles were found in the debris of the destroyed house, but what triggered the blast is still being sought.

AP / News12
The authorities also revised the injury count from the blast to 17 including six adults that were in the house at the time. The Wall Street Journal has an updated report HERE.

THE WEEKEND OF AUGUST 3, 4 & 5 was a tough one for the Norwell, Massachusetts, Fire Department. Over a 24-hr. span all three of their ambulances broke down leaving the town dependent on mutual aid assistance for two days. The Wicked Local tells us:
According to (Norwell Fire Chief Andy) Reardon, the primary ambulance broke down on Friday, Aug. 3, needing warranty repairs. The second ambulance broke down on Saturday morning when a hydraulic line burst. The third ambulance broke down with electrical problems later on Saturday. "They were all minor issues," the chief said.
After the breakdowns, Reardon said he brought in extra staff on to handle any potential problems but there were none.
They added their paramedics to the engine companies and the situation turned out "just fine."

CLASSIC AUTO ENTHUSIASTS WILL be watching the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance car show in California this Sunday. The car auction that annually concludes the car show has a treasure that is expected to come close to, or even surpass, the world record for a car sold at auction. A 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster will be hammered at what is expected to reach at least $10 million and perhaps break the current record of $16.2 million.

Gooding & Co. photo
The car was owned by a Prussian baroness who fled from Germany when the Nazis came into power. The Los Angeles Times describes the car:
At more than 17 feet long and 6 feet wide, the roadster is roughly the dimensions of a new Chevrolet Tahoe sport utility vehicle. The front is highlighted by a split grille offset by a pair of large round headlights that top a thin, polished chrome bumper. The long, glossy black hood hides an inline, supercharged eight-cylinder engine.
The car oozes elegance. The interior is brown leather, wood and chrome. Fenders cover the front wheels and then undulate downward under the doors to serve as a footstep. The car's lines then curve upward over the rear wheels and finish in a wide, low tail. A chromed Mercedes star ornament rises from the top of the hood.
The LA Times has the complete story on the car's history and more photos in an interesting ARTICLE HERE.

THE 21st CENTURY LIFEGUARD IS HERE and already going to work. Meet EMILY, a remote-controlled "lifeguard" that can move through the toughest waves and currents to reach a swimmer in trouble.
JEMS Magazine tells us:
EMILY stands for Emergency Integrated Lifesaving Lanyard. It's a little over 4 feet long, weighs 25 pounds and costs about $10,000. It's made by Hydronalix, a Green Valley, Ariz., company established in 2009.
If a swimmer is struggling, a lifeguard or anyone else can put battery-powered EMILY in the water and, with a remote control, send it through even rough waves to help. Some locations attach an emergency radio so they can instruct panicked swimmers on what to do.

AP
EMILY can't bring swimmers back to shore, but it can keep them safe until rescuers get there, or be attached to a rope so rescuers can pull EMILY and anyone holding on back in.
EMILY made her first reported rescue in Oregon last month when she saved a father and his son.
Read this really neat story in its entirety HERE.
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