Firehouse.com

Three Orthodox Jewish medics have charged the Pikesville Volunteer Fire Company with religious discrimination, alleging they were barred from responding to calls unless they shaved their beards.

Nov. 11--Agrease fire in the kitchen of a downtown Redwood City sushi restaurant forced the evacuation of several nearby businesses Tuesday afternoon, according to the Redwood City Fire Department.

The one-alarm fire was reported at 3:17 p.m. and extinguished within 10 minutes, causing minimal damage to the Blue Fin Sushi restaurant at 2327 Broadway, said Battalion Chief Stan Maupin.

WAYNESBORO -- A Tuesday morning fire caused by a furnace inside an upholstery shop in Waynesboro resulted in $65,000 worth of damage, according to Deputy Chief Shawn Adolini of Mont Alto Volunteer Fire Department.

The fire occurred around 7:30 a.m. at Fortney's Upholstery and Fortney's Patio, 8673 Wayne Ave., according to Jim Fortney, who owns the business with Sam Freeman.

MIAMI --

An American Airlines plane blew a tire while landing at Miami International Airport early Wednesday morning.

The plane was headed from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Miami when the pilot noticed a low tire indicator light on.

Firefighters at the airport prepared for an emergency landing and surrounded the runway.

When the plane touched down, a rear tire on the 777 jet blew out. Smoke was seen coming from the tire after the plane landed.

The jet was carrying 199 passengers.

ADA, Okla.

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Pontotoc County prosecutors have filed charges against the fire chief in Cashion, a town that is both in Kingfisher and Logan counties.

Danny Clark faces counts of fraudulent application for Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET) certification, submission of fraudulent instrument for recording and conspiracy to commit a felony.

The Kingfisher County Sheriff's Department is also investigating possible embezzlement by Cashion employees, authorities said.

EAST POINT, Ga.

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Security cameras caught an arsonist setting a church ablaze Monday afternoon.

East Point police say a man wearing a dark denim jacket and camouflage pants torched the Mallalieu United Methodist Church on the 2000 block of Church Street in East Point.

HOUSTON --

A man was trapped inside a tank at a northeast Houston business, KPRC Local 2 reported.

Rescue crews were called to Darling International on Schalker Drive near Cavalcade Street at about 10 a.m. Tuesday.

Investigators said the man was inspecting the tank with another coworker when he fell 20- to 25-feet.

Crews pulled him out of the tank at about 11:15 a.m. He was taken to a hospital in stable condition.

Darling International is an oil storage facility.

PITTSBURGH

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A former volunteer firefighter who police said sprayed lighter fluid on a burning couch during a Super Bowl celebration got his charges reduced Monday after completing a program for first-time offenders.

DENVER --

The Denver Fire Department has appointed a woman to its command staff for the first time.

Angela R. Cook was sworn in as the division chief at Denver International Airport Monday.

She is highest-ranking female firefighter in the department's history.

Cook became a Denver firefighter in 1992. She also is a national speaker and instructor on incident management systems, strategy and tactics, as well as career development, according to the Denver Fire Department.