Fire Forces Rihanna Concert in Dallas (TX) to End Early

From CNN:

A fire broke out at a Rihanna concert in Dallas on Friday night, forcing the event to end early.

A video posted on YouTube shows a fire burning at the top of the stage at the American Airlines Center, with some sparks falling toward the floor. Some people begin to stream out.

The fire reportedly began due to pyrotechnics that were part of the show. There were no indications of any injuries.

LODD: KY Firefighter, Instructor, Former Fire Marshal Dies at Fire Scene

Veteran Firefighter Charles Sparks of the Columbia-Adair County Fire Department in Kentucky, died at approximately 6:30 a.m. Friday morning after suffering cardiac arrest while operating on the interior of a house fire. Sparks, 49, was treated on-scene then air-lifted to Norton’s Audubon Hospital in Louisville for additional treatment, but died during his stay, according to a report from the Courier Journal.

The report stated that "Sparks worked for the Columbia-Adair County Fire Department for 32 years. He was also a deputy state fire marshal and a state fire rescue training instructor."

In addition the report said, "He is survived by his wife, Tammy, and 15-year-old son, Trent."

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has released an announcement of the firefighter's death. The announcement has confirmed that funeral arrangements are pending and has provided the following additional information:

Arrangements will be made available on the Stotts-Phelps-McQueary Funeral Home website at: http://www.stottsphelpsmcquearyfh.com/html/

Tribute is being paid to Firefighter Charles “Sparky” Sparks at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/

Fellow Firefighters Mourn Coworker Who Died at Baseball Game

From ESPN.com:

It was a difficult Friday morning for the Brownwood (TX) Fire Department as the 30-person staff gathered to grieve the death of Shannon Stone.

Stone, 39, fell over a railing in left field at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington and landed on a concrete surface about 20 feet below. He was transported by ambulance to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, where he was pronounced dead. Stone's 6-year-old son witnessed the fall.

Stone was a lieutenant and 18-year member of the Brownwood Fire Department. Those he worked alongside for years spent time with each other Friday morning, along with one of the department chaplains.

"You worry about him getting hurt fighting a fire, and I always worry about that with my guys, but this is something you don't expect," Brownwood fire chief Del Albright said. Albright said he found out about the tragedy when he received a call Thursday night from someone in the Arlington Fire Department wanting to confirm Stone worked in Brownwood.

Albright said Stone's son and any other family or friends that were at the game returned to Brownwood early Friday morning. Funeral arrangements have not been made.

Read more and watch Richard Durrett's report, and listen to A's pitcher and witness Brad Ziegler HERE

TX FF Dies After Fall at Baseball Game

Shannon Stone, a firefighter from Brownwood, Texas, died from injuries suffered after a 20-foot fall from the left field bleacher seats during a Texas Rangers baseball game in Arlington, Texas, on Thursday. Stone jumped forward to catch an in-flight baseball, tumbled, then fell head first over a railing to the concrete below, according to a San Jose Mercury News report.

The report indicated that many of the players who witnessed the scene were visibly upset and Texas Rangers president Nolan Ryan, former President George W. Bush and Laura Bush, also in attendance, were sitting together during the game. Ryan issued the following statement, according to the report:

"We are deeply saddened that the man who fell has passed away," the statement read. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."

A similiar incident occured at Rangers Stadium, approximately one year and one day ago, when another firefighter, 25-year-old Tyler Morris was injured after falling from the second deck resulting in a fractured skull and a sprained ankle, according to the same report.

The Brownwood Fire Department has posted a memorial on their web site.

Read more HERE.

Fire Union Furious with Deutsche Fire Verdict, Demands Another Investigation

From NYDailyNews.com:

By Brian Kates

Furious that no one has been held responsible for the deaths of two firefighters in the Deutsche Bank building blaze, a fire union wants the case reopened.

In a letter to Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr., Uniformed Fire Officers Association President Alexander Hagan demanded a "review all of the evidence ... in a renewed effort to pinpoint blame" in the 2007 inferno.

Hagan, a fire captain, singled out the Lower Manhattan Development Corp., the building's owner, saying its failure to heed warnings of fire hazards and repeated violations of its emergency action plan "adds up to criminal negligence."

The letter came a day after a judge acquitted the project's asbestos abatement chief - the last of three defendants to be cleared of manslaughter and other charges in the deaths of Robert Beddia and Joseph Graffagnino.

Read more HERE

Firefighters Rescue Couple from Brooklyn (NY) Apartment Fire

From the NY Post:

Firefighters rescued two elderly people from a Brooklyn fire early this morning, including an unconscious 200-pound man.

The 71-year-old man was in critical condition from burns and smoke inhalation, and a 69-year-old woman was discovered in cardiac arrest from smoke inhalation.

Firetruck chauffeur Francis Valerio, 40, climbed up a ladder to the fifth-floor apartment where he broke open the bedroom window and discovered the victims inside by crawling on the floor through the black smoke. Another firefighter climbed in through the fire escape to assist in the search.

Several firefighters struggled to pull the unconscious man out, who sources said weighed about 200 pounds, and managed to get both victims out while other firefighters coming up from downstairs extinguished the flames. The woman was unconscious but firefighters were also able to pull her out alive.

Read it all HERE.

Firefighter Dies After Fall at Rangers Game

From ESPN.com:

ARLINGTON, Texas -- A firefighter has been identified as the Texas Rangers fan who died after falling from the stands while reaching for a baseball tossed his way by All-Star outfielder Josh Hamilton.

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office said Friday the victim was 39-year-old Shannon Stone of Brownwood. City Manager Bobby Rountree says Stone had been a firefighter for nearly 18 years in Brownwood, located 150 miles southwest of Arlington.

Stone fell about 20 feet onto concrete Thursday night, tumbling over the left-field railing after catching the ball and falling into an area out of sight from the field as the Rangers faced Oakland. Stone's young son witnessed the fall during the second inning.

"We are deeply saddened to learn that the man who fell has passed away as a result of this tragic accident," Rangers president/CEO Nolan Ryan said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."

The Rangers closed the clubhouse to the media after their 6-0 win.

The left-field wall is 14 feet high and the fan went headfirst over the railing, which is a few feet higher, for an approximately 20-foot drop. There was an audible gasp in the stands when the man tumbled over the rail, eerily similar to an accident last July when a man fell about 30 feet from the second deck of seats down the right-field line while trying to catch a foul ball. The area where the man fell Thursday is out of sight from the field.

Read more HERE