A CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, MAN DRIVING WHILE DRUNK STEERED his car right into the side of a Chicago FD truck early Monday morning.  The fire engine had all its emergency lights operating and was backing into its firehouse as Hector Valedez, 44, crashed into it.

Hector Valedez

According to the Chicago Sun-Times:

Officers discovered he had no driver’s license and officers allegedly found a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath and bloodshot eyes, according to police.

An officer asked him if he had been drinking and he allegedly said he had a “few beers.’’ He was taken into custody, according to police who said a test revealed his blood alcohol level was  .177,  more than twice the legal limit.

He was charged with felony aggravated DUI, misdemeanor DUI and driving without a license, along with failure to yield to an emergency vehicle and damage to public property.

NORMAL OPERATIONS WILL be resuming.

TWO OF TODAY’S STORIES HAVE JUST BEEN UPDATED.

Scroll down to the original postings to read these updates:

*  Elizabeth firefighter run over by his own engine.  The full details of the accident have been posted.

*  A Tulsa, Oklahoma, firefighter has been arrested and charged with destroying the bay doors of the fire station that is being renovated.

This is old news, but I’m experimenting with this video.  So if it shows up, then check out the crash.

 Double-click on the video to play

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5bFYyhospY

(Thanks, John)

THE FAMED WEST HOLLYWOOD STRIP CLUB, “The Body Shop” on Sunset Blvd. burned this morning. 

[photopress:body_a_lat.jpg,full,centered]
Los Angeles Times photo

The fire was reported shortly before 7 am Pacific time and was contained by the firefighters to the one business.  Despite having the fire knocked down in about an hour, the building sustained at least 70% damages.  Fire was showing through the roof when the 1st-in units arrived.

[photopress:body_b_KABC.jpg,full,centered]
KABC-TV image

The Los Angeles County FD worked the job with about 40 firefighters and the investigation into the cause is just getting started.

The Body Shop’s website describes the business as “the longest-running strip club in L. A.” having been in business since the early 1960’s.

KABC filed some raw video:

WITH A SPECIAL APPEARANCE BY MASSEY FERGUSON ON THE BASS.

(Just love the mike positioned over the exhaust pipe)

BUFFALO, NEW YORK, LADDER 7  was responding to an alarm Thursday afternoon when a car drove into the side of it.

Two firefighters and two passengers in the car were all transported to the hospital.  There is no report yet on the extent of their injuries.

Investigation into the cause of the wreck is continuing.

WIVB-TV Channel 4 has this video report:

LAST WEEK FIREGEEZER REPORTED (HERE) and (HERE) ON THE INDEPENDENCE, KENTUCKY, fire engine that was fired on by a deranged man when they came to his home that was burning.

It was decided yesterday that they will not get the bullet holes in the pumper repaired. Instead they will remain so that everybody will not forget that you never know what to expect when you arrive at an emergency scene.

WKRC Ch. 12 Cincinnati has the video report on this announcement:

Caution:  Beer Crossing

HOUSE PETERS, JR., THE BALD AND BRAWNY character actor whose image has been used in Proctor & Gamble’s advertisements for Mr. Clean products for 50 years died Wednesday in Los Angeles.

[photopress:mr_clean.jpg,full,centered]

His family made the annoucement yesterday saying that the 92-yr.-old actor died of pneumonia.  Peters started his career in silent movies and later made a name for himself with character parts, often as the muscled villain, in dozens of TV and movie westerns including “Wagon Train”, “Gunsmoke” and “The Lone Ranger.”  He retired from acting in 1967 after filming his last episode of “Lassie” on television, in which he had a recurring role as Sheriff Jim Billings.

Both of his parents were actors and his father, House Peters, Sr., has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

This video plays the first Mr. Clean commercial that was aired in 1958.  As you will hear, it contains the same bouncy jingle that is still used today:

Doesn’t every fire and ambulance station have at least one person whose nickname is “Mr. Clean?”

Some of our video links are not working properly right now (11:00 am Eastern).  The problem is at the syndicator’s, not Firegeezer’s ISP.  They are working on solving it.  If you are unable to view some of the video’s, check back later.  We will update this posting when they are operational again.

…..FG

Update, 11:50:  They are back in operation now.  Let’s hope the digital devil has been sent away.

A 2-ALARM FIRE IN DOWNTOWN LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY on Thursday morning destroyed a pair of pyrotechnic-related businesses.  One of them, Star Light & Magic is a theater and stage special-effects store that mainly caters to stage magicians.  The other business housed there is The Orlando Project, which sells products for strategic training and “realistic battleground scenarios.”

[photopress:magic_b_herleader.jpg,full,centered]
Herald-Leader photo

The alarm was sent at 9:45 am and was contained around 1 pm.  As the FD was fighting the fire, there was a series of explosions emanating from the building.  The Lexington Herald-Leader reports:

Sales lists on the Web sites for Star Light & Magic Inc., www.starlight.com, and The Orlando Project, www.theorlandoproject.com, include strobe flares, ground mortars, pyro gel, flame projectors and something called “The Volcano,” which can shoot color flames up to 6 feet high and runs on containers with “enough fluid to make approximately 100 flames,” the Web site says. Extensive purchasing regulations and safety procedures are also posted. Other items for sale or rent include fog machines, confetti, lights and a foam machine once used for the Girls of Summer Aerosmith video.

[photopress:magic_c_herleader.jpg,full,centered]

At a news conference Thursday afternoon, Lexington Fire Chief Robert Hendricks couldn’t say for sure what caused the explosions. Along with the pyrotechnic equipment, there also could have been compressed gas of various types inside the building, which is found in many typical house fires, he said.

Wendy Wheeler Mullins, a part-time bookkeeper for the business, said pyrotechnics were not kept at the site, but sent from the manufacturer directly to the customer. But she said there were some flammable objects in the store.

[photopress:magic_a_herleader.jpg,full,centered]
Herald-Leader 

Fire officials have not yet determined the cause of the fire.  However, there is still an open investigation for a suspicious fire that occurred in a storage shed on the property on July 8.

The Associated Press has this video report:

THE NORTHBOUND TRAFFIC LANES OF I-465 in Indianapolis, Indiana, are still closed this morning while crews clean up following a fiery multi-truck accident at 2:30 am.

[photopress:indytruck_a_wrtv.jpg,full,centered]
WRTV

It all began when a tractor-trailer jackknifed after rear-ending a pickup truck.  The jacknife ruptured the fuel tank and started a fuel fire.The big rig then collided with a second tractor-trailer and both of the trailers caught on fire.  The collision ultimately included a third trailer truck.  Both of the burning trailers were carrying food products.  Aside from the diesel fuel, there were no hazardous materials involved.

The Wayne Township Fire Dept. was on the scene and it required 90 minutes to bring the situation under control.  Two of the three truck drivers and the wife of one of them were transported, but only suffered minor injuries.

[photopress:indytruck_b_wrtv.jpg,full,centered]
WRTV

The highway is expected to be closed until this afternoon.

The Indianapolis Star has the full STORY.

WRTV has this video report with some fire footage:

It’s been several days since we’ve travelled around the Fire Web, so let’s pick out some weekend reading:

*  SConFire has been keeping up with the ALF situation and has several recent links that tell about the bankruptcy activities.  He also covers a spate of hydrant vandalism and the theft of a Hurst tool pump from a fire engine that was parked in a repair shop HERE.

*  FireRescue1 has a STORY about a gas explosion in France that killed one FF and injured 14 others.

*  EMS1 is carrying the STORY about Louisiana’s program to provide portable radios that will link fire, rescue and police agencies statewide.

*  PhillyFireNews always has a terrific collection of current “hot shots” taken at fires around the SE Penna./ New Jersey region.  You should check them out every day just to see the latest HERE.

*  Janet Wilmoth at the Fire Chief Magazine blog has a good commentary on how the “senior-man syndrome” is stifling firefighter safety HERE.

*  The VAFireNews continues to keep up with the latest hot shots and news from around the state of Virginia HERE.

*  Firefighter Blog, who keeps us up-to-date on the wildfire activity around the world, has a posting about  a fire in Argentina that is threatening a forest filled with trees that are hundreds of years old HERE.

*  FirefighterSpot is another one of those sites that you should be checking every day for his excellent FDNY-in-action photos as well as his champion collection of Close Call videos.  Today is no exception, so CLICK HERE and see the latest.

*  California Fire News just posted a huge stack of new articles last night including one about those pesky pine needles at Lake Tahoe.  CLICK HERE and give the site time to download, then check them out.

MORE AND MORE FIRE & RESCUE stations are installing treadmill exercise machines to help maintain fitness.

They are an effective tool to retain muscle strength and achieve a good aerobic capacity.

In our constant quest to help you in all facets of the job, Firegeezer is presenting this Treadmill Safety Video to point out important tips to remember while you use the machine.

[MEDIA=61]

TRINITY UNIVERSITY OF SAN ANTONIO is 2 points behind.  There are only 2 seconds left on the clock.  So this will be the last play, their only chance to win the game and go into a tie for 1st place in the league.

They’re on their own 39-yard line, so it’s way to far out to kick a field goal.  That just leaves three choices:

1. A long pass
2. A running play
3. Make up a new play

Watch the video and see how it turned out:

[MEDIA=36]

Firegeezer says:  How many did you count?  I saw 13, but the news reports say 15.

A MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA MAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED 500 miles away from his parent’s home that burned out a week ago.  The man, Darko Tomic, also lived in the house and at first investigators feared he had perished in the fire.

[photopress:melb_a.jpg,full,centered]

His parents barely escaped the blaze which presented a challenge to the firefighters because of the roll-up shutters closed over all the windows.  When their son was unaccounted for after the fire, it was thought that he had died in the house.  But when cadaver dogs were brought in to try and locate the body they found no trace of him and a police lookout was issued.

He was arrested yesterday in Sydney and will be charged with attempted murder after he is returned to Melbourne.

Read The Age HERE.

TROPICAL STORM FELIX IS NOW ENTERING the southern Caribbean Sea and is expected to reach hurricane status by 2 am Sunday.  It is not expected to threaten any of the United States or the Gulf of Mexico oil fields.

Also, there is a growing system in the eastern Atlantic midway between the coast of Africa and the Lesser Antilles.  It is expected to grow in intensity during the next two days.

Be sure to click on the Firegeezer Hurricane Watch page regularly to keep up with these active systems.

*  The driver of the ambulance involved in the head-0n crash near Palm Springs, California Monday night (reported HERE) remains in critical condition.  Kohl Hetrick, 20, suffered a broken and shattered vertebrae, a deflated lung and multiple other broken bones.

[photopress:desert2a_1.jpg,full,centered]

*  In the face of today’s rally and beginnig of job actions (reported HERE), the New South Wales government has come to agreement with the ambulance workers on one of their points.  They will now be included with the other emergency services in the death and disability benefits program.

*  In Turner, Maine the Androscoggin County Sheriff has determined that the driver who pulled out in front of an ambulance on July 5 was intoxicated.  The collision killed the paramedic who was in the back treating a patient.  The ambulance driver will be bedridden for at least a year.

[photopress:maine_crash.jpg,thumb,centered]

*  London’s sole air ambulance has been facing shutdown because of a lack of funding (HERE).  So they have decided to spend their money on designing a new Logo.

[photopress:london_air_amb_logo.jpg,full,centered]

AS THOSE OLD TV COMMERCIALS USED TO TELL US, “Wait!!! There’s more!”  Channel 9’s newshound Dave Statter has been covering the latest expose of the city’s fire hydrant problem.  This evening he disclosed that on the grounds of the headquartes and the sewage treatment plant of the Water and Sewer Authority, 29% of their own hydrants are out of service.

Read his latest chapter to the tale HERE.

Firegeezer wonders if the Water Authority is still operating out of the Marion Barry Procedural Manual.

*  Firefighter Blog is keeping up with the Greek situation.  Today he has several videos posted HERE.

*  Roanoke Firefighters is featuring a tv stand for the kitchen of Sta. 1.  It’s made from a fire alarm pull-box pedestal and it really looks nice.  See it HERE.

*  STATter911 is following the problems that D. C.’s Metrorail system is having.  Electrical fires 2 nights in a row now.  Click HERE.

*  FireRescue1 has an interesting story on the Sun Valley (Idaho) ski resort using its snow-making machines to help fight the Castle Rock forest fire.  Read the full STORY.

*  FirefighterHourly is reporting that an embarrased ISO is returning to Charleston HERE.

*  EMS1 carries a story about how a Kansas City medic crew revived a newborn that had been put into a toilet HERE.

*  SConFire tells about a fire district board of directors that can’t bring itself to make a decision HERE.

*  Today’s Major Wildfire Incidents MAP.