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A fire broke through the upper floors of an under-construction skyscraper in the Tsim Sha Tsui area of Hong Kong and spread to neighbouring buildings in the early hours of Friday (March 3). Debris falling from the burning construction site led to smaller blazes in adjacent structures which were quickly extinguished by emergency services, local media reported. In a public warning, the Hong Kong fire service department advised residents affected by the smoke to close their doors and windows, while local media reported that over 100 people living in the area were evacuated.

Authorities suspect a Gretna woman who used gasoline to light a barbeque grill accidentally set her neighbor's house ablaze Saturday evening when the fuel can ignited, according to an arrest report. No one was injured in the fire at a home in the 3000 block of Hero Drive, said Chief Michael Labruzza of the Davy Crockett Steam Fire Company No. 1. But resident Ruby Villacorta Romero, 33, was arrested and booked with negligent arson, Gretna police said. Villacorta had planned to cook on an open grill that was set up under a carport at her residence, Gretna police said. The...

A teenager in Florida is in a medically induced coma following a horrifying accident on New Year’s Eve. Authorities tell WFOR that 14-year-old Layne Chesney suffered third-degree burns across most of her body while roasting marshmallows at a friend’s house. “My daughter has sustained burns over 95 percent of her body,” Leigh Chesney, Layne’s mother, told WFOR. “She has suffered a lot of disfiguring injuries. Family members say Layne was roasting marshmallows at a friend’s house to make s’mores. “When the flames went out, one of the children or her, I do not know the complete story, accidentally or purposefully,...

On his second full day in office, President Trump hosted an event at the White House to thank law enforcement officials and first responders and emphasized his support for them.(VIDEO-AT-LINK) During the event, Trump thanked the law enforcement for the “safety success” at his Inauguration and said, “We're going to have a great eight years together.” Trump's presidential campaigned focused largely on security and law enforcement, and he branded himself the “law and order candidate,” bringing attention to the individuals who put their lives on the line, often without thanks, to protect lives. During a rally in July, Trump spoke...

A man killed himself at Burning Man-style arts festival by leaping into a towering burning art structure in front of hundreds of horrified onlookers, authorities and witnesses said. On Monday, scores of "burners" - who commune in the Nevada desert every August for Burning Man -were mourning the doomed festivalgoer after he dove into the flames during a moonlit bonfire ritual at the Element 11 fest near Salt Lake City late Saturday.

Fire extinguishers could be removed from communal areas in flats throughout the country because they are a safety hazard, it has emerged. The life-saving devices encourage untrained people to fight a fire rather than leave the building, risk assessors in Bournemouth decided. There are fears that their recommendation, which has seen the extinguishers ripped out of several private, high-rise flats in the town, could set a national precedent. Under the Fire Safety Order of 2005, fire assessments must be carried out to 'eliminate or reduce risk as is reasonably practical'. But Mike Edwards, who lives in one of the blocks,...

Deep fried turkey is a popular dish to serve at Thanksgiving. But there are some dangers in preparing it. State Farm Insurance says Michigan ranks fourth when it comes to cooking-related claims on Thanksgiving Day. The most common reasons are fires and burns caused by deep-frying turkeys. Mid-Michigan has seen several such accidents. "The individual put in a partially-thawed turkey. The oil exploded. It burned his hands, his face and ignited his clothing," Genesee Township Assistant Fire Chief Curt St. John said. With the help of the Genesee Township Fire Department, we set up a demonstration of the potential dangers....

Video at the link above. Palo Alto looks to become second Bay Area city to mandate photoelectric technology for smoke alarms in new residential construction, remodels and rental housing when required by State Law. Acting Fire Marshal Gordon Simpkinson is interviewed as National Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 3 through 9) approaches. Ionization smoke alarms often fail to provide adequate warning of smoldering fires, and are far more likely to be disabled by residents due to nuisance alarms. Residents are urged to check existing alarms and replace them if they are ionization type. Any alarm more than 10 years old should...

Sorry for the vanity, but I'm looking for some help from any Freepers who are familiar with building code requirements and/or fire safety requirements as they relate to a "wet sprinkler" system and an off-site monitored alarm system. A question has come up in a commercial building owned by my family -- and involves the details about how a monitored off-site alarm system should be installed in the building. Are there any Freepers out there who might be able to provide some input on a general question related to the configuration of a building and the detector/sprinkler hardware? Please post...

Fire - beautiful, warm, fascinating, dangerous, and deadly. In the Bible it is used to purify, it is used in sacrifice, it is even a symbol of the Holy Ghost ... The video [included with article] is an eye-opening look at a household fire. We all know that we need to be ready in case of fire with a plan of action to get out of a burning house ... We also need to have a plan for sudden unexpected fires that we can put out quickly ... what if your television caught fire? your computer? or your microwave oven?...

After a week filled with rumors and absences, Ithaca High School has some changes ready for this week, and Ithaca City School District Superintendent Judith Pastel asks that students, parents and staff have patience as everyone adjusts. The most obvious change students can expect to see will be locked classroom doors once classes start. Pastel said one recommendation that came from the Ithaca Police Department last week was to lock doors at the beginning of every class. Police and school officials are working together to ensure the students' safety. Locking classroom doors at the start of a class will make...

New law for 'fire-safe' cigarettes takes effect Associated Press ALBANY, N.Y. -- There's something different about cigarette brands sold in New York these days, but you would hardly notice it by looking at them. Next to the bar code of a pack of smokes is a tiny mark -- an asterisk, a dash or a diamond -- indicating that the cigarettes will self-extinguish if they're not puffed on regularly. On Monday, New York will become the first state to phase in a law requiring tobacco companies to sell the new "fire-safe" cigarettes. The law is meant to cut down on...