Firehouse.com

Sept. 04--Five firefighters for two tiny Hampden County towns are in hot water after being arraigned yesterday on charges that they torched several abandoned homes to help pad their wallets with extra duty pay, authorities said yesterday.

"It's very disheartening," said Brimfield Board of Selectmen chairman Thomas Marino. "You put your trust in them to be firefighters, the people who come to put your fires out, not be causing them. It's the worst kind of violation of your trust."

MILLIKEN, Colo. --

Investigators said a fire that burnt down a historic school house early Saturday morning was intentionally set.

The Milliken School House, which was nearly 100 years old, was burnt to the ground after it was spotted engulfed in flames at about 4:11 a.m.

"As soon as they left the station, they could see the size of the fire and called for more resources," Milliken Fire Chief Ron Bateman said. Fire crews who first arrived at the scene had to immediately go into a defensive attack.

SALISBURY, N.C.

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A large fire broke out at the Webb Road Flea Market, near Interstate 85, on Friday morning.

The fire was reported at about 7:40 a.m. A caretaker who lives on-site said he went outside to begin opening for the day, saw smoke and called 911. Several other witnesses reported hearing several explosions before seeing the flames.

Firefighters said the flames spread quickly, engulfing several buildings.

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Sept. 03--The Tulsa World is gathering readers' Admiral Twin stories and photos. If you have a memory or photos to share with the World about the famed drive-in, please send it to web@tulsaworld.com

A large fire devastated the storied Admiral Twin Drive-In on Friday.

VANCOUVER, Wash. --

Two neighbors helped a woman escape from an early morning fire that caused $500,000 in damage to a Vancouver apartment building, firefighters said.

Police dispatchers said they received a 911 call at about 1 a.m. Friday from a woman screaming, "My apartment is on fire." The line then line went dead.

Vancouver fire crews arrived at the Autumn Chase Apartments in the 11000 block of Northeast Seventh Street about 5 minutes later.

Sept. 03--South Jacksonville firefighters want to reunite a kitten rescued from a storm sewer and its owner.

Firefighters were called about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday after a resident reported hearing what sounded like cries from an animal trapped in the storm sewer in the 2200 block of Magnolia Drive.

Firefighters pulled off manhole covers around the location to find the animal, which turned out to be a kitten.

More than 250 firefighters responded to the scene, and at least a dozen were injured.

Topeka Fire Department Capt. Todd Williams realizes he and several firefighters are making some sacrifices because of a renovation of Fire Station No. 5. But in the end, he said, it will be worth it.

Today, Friday, Sept. 3, the thirtieth round of the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) for FY '09 was announced.