East London Warehouse Burns

Devices could someday put out fires with electricity

(NEWSER) - A little piece of Hogwarts may someday be reality: firefighters could eventually replace their hoses with flame-snuffing wands, the Daily Mail reports. Scientists attached a 600-watt electrical amplifier to a wand that blasted a foot-high fire with electricity, and the flames were extinguished almost immediately, they announced at a conference this weekend. Even a weaker current would have an effect, said one. More»

Fire rips through building with 70 apartments

(NEWSER) - A five-alarm fire ripped through a Brooklyn apartment building last night, leaving one resident dead, 100 homeless, and injuring more than 20 firefighters as some 200 of them battled the blaze in high winds, reports the New York Post. The fire broke out just before 7pm, but wasn't brought under control until early this morning. The building had about 70 apartments. One man said he helped a neighbor and his toddler escape through a window: "The guy came through the window . . . he had nothing. I gave him shoes, a coat, and a sweater." More»

(NEWSER) - Five workers trapped in an empty water tunnel at a Colorado hydroelectric plant were killed late yesterday when a chemical fire ignited in equipment. The workers had communicated after the blaze erupted that they were safe, but firefighters later found their bodies as they battled the blaze. The men worked for a contractor doing routine maintenance for the Xcel plant in Georgetown. More»

Three officials demoted after blaze kills 2 in uninspected building

(NEWSER) - Three top FDNY officials were demoted today in the wake of the Deutsche Bank fire that claimed the lives of two firefighters. The August 18 blaze has been blamed on careless smoking, but the department neglected required inspections on the condemned building. The commissioner also ordered inspections of all construction and demolition projects in the city, the Daily News reports. More»

Water supply under scrutiny in deadly blaze near Ground Zero

(NEWSER) - A broken standpipe may have crippled the battle against Saturday's Deutsche Bank tower blaze near Ground Zero. Water filled the basement as flames on higher floors raged, the Times reports, and water from the hose connected to the suspect standpipe apparently didn't reach past the fifth floor. Firefighters spent precious minutes pulling hoses up the side of the building. More»