Albina Bieci
Staff Writer
Reporting by Albina Bieci
Fire Protection
Boy Killed, Four Family Members Critical in Mott Haven NYCHA High-Rise Fire; Lithium-Ion Battery Found at Scene
A boy died and four family members were critically injured when fire tore through an 11th-floor apartment at the Patterson Houses in the Bronx. A lithium-ion battery was found at the scene; the FDNY says the cause is still under investigation.
· Albina Bieci
Fire Protection
Two Rescued from Cedar Rapids Apartment Fire on 31st Street NE; 12 Displaced as Cause Remains Under Investigation
Cedar Rapids firefighters rescued two trapped occupants from a burning apartment building on the 200 block of 31st Street NE just before 3 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026. Twelve residents are displaced and the cause remains under investigation. This report covers what the incident means for the building's undamaged half, how Iowa fire code governs re-occupancy and impaired systems, and what a fire watch deployment looks like for a property of this type.
· Albina Bieci
Fire Protection
Fire Crews Battle Vacant Apartment Building Fire in Kansas City's Wabash Block
Kansas City fire crews responded Sunday morning to a reported apartment building fire in the 2800 block of Wabash, where they encountered smoke and fire coming from a vacant two-story structure. Interior operations were conducted, searches came back all clear, and no injuries were reported. The cause remains under investigation.
· Albina Bieci
Fire Protection
Pennsauken, NJ Apartment Building Evacuated After 3-Alarm Fire at Cooper River Apartments
A 3-alarm fire at the Cooper River Apartments on McClellan Avenue in Pennsauken, New Jersey forced the evacuation of roughly 40 residents early Monday morning. One woman jumped from the fifth floor before fire crews arrived and was transported to a local hospital. The cause of the fire has not been released.
· Albina Bieci
Fire Protection
Woman Critically Injured After Falling from Window During Three-Alarm High-Rise Fire at Cooper River Apartments in Pennsauken, NJ
A woman is in critical condition after falling from a window during a three-alarm fire at Cooper River Apartments in Pennsauken, New Jersey, early Monday morning. The blaze, which originated on the fifth floor of the 14-story building, required multiple mutual-aid departments and resulted in the rescue of two wheelchair-bound residents trapped on the ninth floor.
· Albina Bieci
Fire Protection
Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Displaces Residents at Spokane's Donna Hanson Haven Apartment Building
A lithium-ion battery from an electric bicycle caused a fire on the third floor of Donna Hanson Haven in downtown Spokane on Saturday, October 25, 2026. The Spokane Fire Department evacuated all residents; Catholic Charities Eastern Washington coordinated decontamination, and most tenants returned home the same evening. Seventeen third-floor residents remain displaced with Red Cross support.
· Albina Bieci
Fire Protection
Apartment Fire Displaces Nearly Two Dozen Residents in Deerfield, Illinois
A significant apartment fire on the 1100 block of Deerfield Road in Deerfield, Illinois displaced approximately two dozen residents and injured four people on the evening of Saturday, October 24, 2026. Multiple fire departments responded under a MABAS Box Alarm as the American Red Cross moved in to support displaced families.
· Albina Bieci
Fire Protection
Fire Contained at Goodwin Hotel in Hartford After Blaze Found Inside Exterior Wall
Hartford fire crews responded to the Goodwin Hotel on Haynes Street on Saturday afternoon after a smoke condition was reported in the basement. The fire was controlled within minutes, no injuries were reported, and the cause remains under investigation.
· Albina Bieci
Fire Protection
Fire Crews Contain Commercial Structure Blaze at Interfor Lumber Facility in Georgetown County
Georgetown County Fire and EMS crews responded just after midnight to a large commercial structure fire at Interfor, a lumber facility in Georgetown County, South Carolina. Firefighters contained the blaze to the original building of origin and reported no injuries. The fire's cause has not been released.
· Albina Bieci
Guard Operations
USPA Nationwide Security Stages Dallas Operations Ahead of Polar Vortex Season
USPA Nationwide Security has begun its winter readiness posture across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, placing emergency fire watch officers and sprinkler repair crews on same-day staging rotations to cover burst fire sprinkler lines and impaired fire protection systems during hard freezes. The mobilization draws on operational lessons from Winter Storm Uri and is grounded in the technical realities of commercial wet-pipe and dry-pipe systems in below-freezing conditions.
· Albina Bieci
Fire Protection
One Hospitalized After Late-Night Fire at Connor Tower High-Rise in Johnstown, Pennsylvania
A late-night mattress fire on the third floor of Connor Tower, a 169-unit Johnstown Housing Authority high-rise on Vine Street, sent one resident to Conemaugh Medical Center and temporarily displaced dozens of tenants on Friday, October 24, 2026.
· Albina Bieci
Fire Protection
One Dead, Two Injured in Early Morning Westwood Apartment Fire
A pre-dawn fire at a Westwood apartment building along Westwood Northern Boulevard left one man dead and two others injured Saturday morning. The Cincinnati Fire Department rescued three trapped occupants before fire companies remained on scene to complete extinguishment and support the Fire Investigation Unit.
· Albina Bieci
Fire Protection
18 Hurt, Including 2 Firefighters, in Belmont Apartment Building Blaze
A second-alarm apartment fire at 2174 Crotona Ave. in the Belmont section of the Bronx injured 18 people, including two firefighters, on Thursday morning. The blaze originated in unit 2A and spread to the apartments directly above and below before FDNY crews brought it under control in roughly 35 minutes. Three households have been displaced and are receiving Red Cross assistance.
· Albina Bieci
Fire Protection
Detroit Firefighters Rescue Woman from Apartment Fire on City's West Side
Detroit firefighters forced entry into a burning apartment in the 17000 block of Plymouth Road early Wednesday morning, October 21, 2026, rescuing one woman now listed in critical condition. Three Detroit Police Department officers sustained smoke inhalation injuries. The fire's origin and the building's suppression and alarm system status have not been released.
· Albina Bieci
Fire Protection
Family Rescued from Second-Floor Balcony After Apartment Fire at Shoreline Apartment Homes in Richland, Washington
A family was rescued from their second-floor balcony late Wednesday night, October 21, 2026, after fire broke out at the Shoreline Apartment Homes near Duportail Street and Tanglewood Drive in Richland, Washington. Witnesses reported the fire originated in a laundry area. No official cause determination or injury count has been released.
· Albina Bieci
Executive Protection
Brazen Home-Invasion Burglaries Target Wealthy Families in Menlo Park's Sharon Heights
A string of at least 13 reported burglaries in Sharon Heights, Menlo Park, California has shifted from the familiar pattern of striking empty homes to targeting families during dinnertime hours — a tactical change that has rattled one of Silicon Valley's most established residential enclaves and drawn coordinated law enforcement response across multiple Bay Area agencies.
· Albina Bieci
Fire Protection
Two-Alarm Fire Damages Beacon Point Apartment in South Toledo; Building Evacuated, One Unit Affected
A two-alarm fire sent flames through the roof of a building at the Beacon Point apartments in south Toledo early Tuesday, Oct. 20. Firefighters opened the roof, the firewall held, and damage was contained to one unit. The entire building was evacuated with no injuries reported.
· Albina Bieci
Fire Protection
Firefighters Rescue Three Children and an Adult From Second-Floor Windows of Burning Moline Apartment Building
Heavy fire at the rear of a Moline apartment building trapped an adult and three children on the second floor Tuesday, Oct. 20. The adult lowered the children from a window to a police officer, firefighters rescued the adult, and the cause remains under investigation.
· Albina Bieci
Fire Protection
Minneapolis Apartment Fire on East 24th Street Displaces a Dozen Residents
A ground-floor fire at a three-story apartment building at 510 E 24th St. in South Minneapolis displaced about a dozen residents early Monday, Oct. 19. No injuries were reported, crews contained the fire within two hours, and the Red Cross is helping residents with temporary housing.
· Albina Bieci
Fire Protection
Plano Apartment Fire Treated as Arson: Man Rescued From Balcony at Villas at Chase Oaks, 10 Units Uninhabitable
An overnight fire at the Villas at Chase Oaks apartments in Plano, Texas is being investigated as arson, with one man rescued from a second-story balcony and 10 units left uninhabitable. Plano fire officials say one person has been arrested for potential arson.
· Albina Bieci
