JFRD chief explains why itโs difficult to put the fires out at RISE Doro apartments
Since late Sunday night, Jacksonville Fire and Rescue has been trying to extinguish a fire at the new RISE Doro Apartments on East Adams Street. JFRD Chief Keith Powers said the fire has been difficult to put out because of void spaces in the building during construction.
Hair raises issue for some Jacksonville firefighters who bristle at handling of policy
A group speaking on behalf of Black firefighters within the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department says an issue over hair is being used against some firefighters. The question is whether firefighters should be allowed to have braids and dreadlocks -- or whether they create a safety issue.
Person critically burned in Westside house fire
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ One person was critically injured Wednesday morning in a house fire on Delta Avenue, between Hamilton and Cassat avenues, according to Jacksonville Fire and Rescue. Firefighters said the person was out of the house when the first units arrived just before 10 a.m.Other than broken windows, little damage was seen on the exterior of the house. No additional details were provided about the condition of the person burned.
Trailblazing Black Jacksonville firefighters experienced racism, sexism on the job
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ For the dozens of Black firefighters that work in Jacksonville today, there are four trailblazers that opened the door. They endured racism and sexism as the first Black men and women to work for Jacksonville Fire and Rescue after the Reconstruction era. Glenda Hopkins, Alonza Bronner, George Smith and Wanda Butler were all firefighters in Jacksonville serving for decades. At the time Smith and Bronner said they did not feel welcomed by their fellow white firefighters. Butler, Hopkins, Bronner and Smith found themselves battling fires, saving lives and fighting for equality at the same time.
FHP: Car plunges into river after crash on Dames Point Bridge
A car that went off the Dames Point Bridge Saturday night was pulled out of the river Sunday morning. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ A car was pulled out of the St. Johns River Sunday morning after the vehicle went over the side of the concrete wall of the Dames Point Bridge following a crash Saturday night with another car in the southbound lanes, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Troopers said the 27-year-old driver of the vehicle that went over the side was able to exit his vehicle and had only minor injuries. All southbound lanes on I-295 were closed for an hour while the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department got the driver out of the water and police cleared the scene. The next morning, the vehicle that went off the side of the bridge was pulled from the water.
FHP: Man, 18, dies after being hit by 2 cars on Northside
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ An 18-year-old man was killed Friday night when he was hit by two cars on Main Street south of Sara Drive on the Northside of Jacksonville, troopers said. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the man was hit by a sedan headed south on Main Street, and then was hit by a second sedan in the roadway. He died at the scene. The 56-year-old woman driving the first car and the 24-year-old man driving the second car were both wearing seat belts and were not injured, troopers said.
Man missing after falling off fishing boat near Buckman Bridge
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ Crews are searching for a 20-year-old man after an empty boat was found Thursday morning near the Buckman Bridge. The boat hit one of the pillars of the bridge, and by the time Jacksonville Fire and Rescue personnel found it, no one was aboard. AdNEW VIDEO: A multi-agency search is on after a boat hit one of the pillars of the Buckman Bridge this morning. By the time Jacksonville Fire and Rescue personnel found it, no one was aboard. Rescue vehicles on the Buckman Bridge were blocking two lanes of traffic on the westbound side Thursday morning, which caused some major delays.
One person rescued from apartment fire by JFRD
JFRD firefighters rescued one person out of an apartment fire on Friden Dr. Saturday night. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ Jacksonville Fire and Rescue crews rescued one person from an apartment on fire in the Ribault neighborhood Saturday night. In a tweet, JFRD says crews rushed to the apartment located on Friden Drive at around 9:10 p.m. Once there, firefighters battled heavy flames and smoke coming out of the building. Within minutes, firefighters managed to pull one person out of the apartment. JFRD said they cleared the apartment and found no other residents.
Detour on Union Street for several days after fire at old downtown funeral home
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ Part of Union Street will be closed for several days after a three-alarm fire that started Saturday at an abandoned commercial building in downtown Jacksonville, authorities said. Jacksonville police also taped off Union Street between Laura and Main streets. The Jacksonville Sheriffโs Office said Sunday that due to the fire, Union Street at Main Street will remain closed for several days, creating traffic delays for those coming into downtown on eastbound Union Street. The current detour diverts eastbound Union Street traffic to southbound Laura Street. Due to yesterday's structure fire, Union St. will remain closed for several days.
Firefighters battle massive blaze in downtown Jacksonville
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ Jacksonville Fire and Rescue crews battled a massive fire at an abandoned funeral home Downtown that took a little over an hour to get under control and involved the collapse of the roof and second floor, fire officials said. Flames could be seen pouring from the building at Main and Union streets as firefighters battled to douse the fire with several ladder trucks from above. Eventually, more than 45 apparatus and over 110 firefighters were on scene to battle the blaze, which they were able to get under control in a little over an hour. Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry tweeted video of the firefighters, asking for prayers as they battled the dangerous blaze. Riska said State, Union and Laura streets downtown were all closed as firefighters battled the flames, but that they would reopen as crews were released from the scene.
Jacksonville firefighters begin receiving COVID-19 vaccine
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ About 25 Jacksonville Fire and Rescue employees, including Chief Keith Powers, received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday afternoon. The remaining 1,600 JFRD employees will begin getting the vaccine next week -- a process thatโs expected to last several days. The city said it is important that JFRD employees get vaccinated early because about 900 paramedics will be used to administer the shots to the public as early as next month. Clay County told News4Jax its firefighters will also be involved in giving shots to the public but they have not received any vaccine. Statewide more than 68,000 people have received either Pfizerโs or Modernaโs vaccine as of Wednesday.
Man shot several times in Downtown Jacksonville
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ This morning at 4:15, JSO patrol officers responded to a shooting on the 100 Block of N. Julia Street. They found an adult male with several gunshot wounds. He was transported to a local hospital by Jacksonville Fire and Rescue with life threatening injuries. JSO has an adult male suspect in custody. If you have information regarding this incident please call the Jacksonville Sheriffโs Office at 904-630-0500, or jsocrimetips@jaxsheriff.org to email them.
Woman killed at park is Jacksonvilleโs 162nd homicide of 2020
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ A woman in her 20s was found shot to death Monday morning at Normandy Park, according to Jacksonville Fire and Rescue. A weapon and other evidence were located between where the victim was found and where the subject was taken into custody. โThe witnesses provided a clothing and a physical description and the general area which he fled on foot,โ JSO homicide Sgt. Her uncle, Timothy Williams, identified the victim as TaโLiyah Williams. Tuesday morning the Sheriffโs Office identified the suspect, Deiondre Lewis, 22, as the man who was taken into custody.
JFRD: Person pulled from water on Little Talbot Island
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ A person was pulled from the ocean Saturday afternoon off Little Talbot Island, according to Jacksonville Fire and Rescue. It happened at about 4 p.m. near Heckscher Drive. The personโs condition is unknown, but it was reported they had a heart attack.
Police: Argument between cars leads to deadly shooting
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ One man is dead and another was hospitalized after a shooting Friday night that Jacksonville police said stemmed from an argument at an intersection on the Westside. He said that at about 8:30 p.m., a patrol officer made contact with the black car near Wilson Boulevard and I-295. โWe are possibly looking for an outstanding white vehicle. โAll we do know is that the black car was shot,โ he said. โWe do not know, we cannot say that there was anybody inside the car shooting back.โThe victims in the shooting were not identified.
Jacksonville Fire-Rescue finds smoke, no fire on ship at Blount Island
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ A large number of fire engines responded to a report of a shipboard fire at the Jacksonville Port Authorityโs Blount Island docks Tuesday night, but it appears nothing was on fire. The cargo carrier Hoegh told Jacksonville Fire and Rescue that five cars aboard the ship were on fire. Shortly after 11:30 p.m., Jacksonville Fire-Rescue tweeted: โCommand has called this situation under control.... our crews are going home.โ No injuries were reported. If the ship looks familiar, you might recall in June when a similar-looking cargo ship caught fire at Blount Island. A total of eight firefighters were injured when an explosion occurred on that ship while they were battling the fire.
Police swarm Hilltop Village Apartments after double shooting
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ At least 20 units from the Jacksonville Sheriffโs Office responded to a shooting Wednesday evening at a Northwest Jacksonville apartment complex. Lt. John Gay, with the Jacksonville Sheriffโs Office, said units were called to the Hilltop Village Apartments shortly after 3:30 p.m. Two men were found shot. He said the shooting occurred in the courtyard. The motive for the shooting is unknown. Anyone with information was asked to contact the Sheriffโs Office or make an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida.
Swimmer rescued from ocean Saturday morning in Atlantic Beach
ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. โ A person was taken to the hospital Saturday morning after being rescued from the ocean off Atlantic Beach, authorities said. Jacksonville Fire and Rescue said the swimmer was in serious condition. RELATED: Woman pulled from Jacksonville Beach surf with husband Tuesday dies, sources sayJacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue said the swimmer was reported missing around 9 a.m. Saturday in North Jacksonville Beach and was found two hours later in Atlantic Beach, about 4 miles away. There were dangerous surf conditions in the ocean, including high surf and rough waves. Rob Emahiser with Ocean Rescue said people should keep in mind itโs late in the season, so they only have a few lifeguards out.
Multiple RVs destroyed by fire at Orange Park lot
ORANGE PARK, Fla. โ Several recreational vehicles caught on fire on the parking lot of a travel store in Orange Park earlier this afternoon. Jacksonville Fire and Rescue rushed to the scene near Blanding Boulevard and Longchamp Drive around 4:00 p.m.JFRD released video of tall flames taking taking over at least 3 RVs parked side-by-side. Firefighters say no one was injured. The cause of the fire is being investigated.
Pearl Street shut down after gas line breaks
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ A section of Pearl Street will be shut down Monday afternoon while crews from JEA do work in the area on a broken gas line. According to the Jacksonville Sheriffโs Office, the road was shut down between 15th and 18th street around 11 a.m. and will be closed for several hours. Jacksonville Fire and Rescue said a hazmat team responded after a broken gas line and water main break was reported.
Jacksonville Fire Rescue: 1 rescued from apartment fire
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Firefighters were called to extinguish a fire Thursday night in Jacksonvilles Durkeeville neighborhood. According to Jacksonville Fire and Rescue, one person was rescued. The apartment complex is on Palafox Street just north of Kings Road. The fire was brought under control within a few minutes.
Firefighters hospitalized after engine overturns along I-95
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. A fire engine went off Interstate 95 near Emerson Street and overturned Wednesday afternoon. A Jacksonville Fire and Rescue spokesman said all firefighters aboard the vehicle were hospitalized even though there appeared to be no significant injures. This happened about 2:45 p.m. and continues to block two fo the four soutbound lanes, which has caused significant backups. JFRD said they will provide details of the accident and the injuries in a briefing at 5 p.m.
Car, motorcycle crash results in fatality
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ Jacksonville Fire and Rescue responded to the scene of a crash on Art Museum Drive and Atlantic Boulevard Sunday night. Crews found a car and motorcycle had crashed resulting in critical injuries. Crews are responding to a traffic accident at Art Museum dr and Atlantic blvd involving a motorcycle vs a car... S12 is on scene advising critical injuries....expect delays in the area. โ MyJFRD (@JFRDJAX) July 6, 2020The Jacksonville Sheriffโs Office provided an update that the crash did result in a fatality. JFRD said traffic in the area should expect delays.
4th of July safety: Sparklers burn at 2,000 degrees
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were an estimated 900 emergency department-treated injuries in the U.S. associated with sparklers in 2019. Jimmy Patronis, the state fire marshal, released these fireworks safety guidelines. Beware of allowing young children to play with sparklers โ Fireworks or sparklers can reach temperatures of more than 1200 degrees, which can cause third degree burns. Consider attending a professional fireworks show โ The best opportunity to protect yourself and your family from fireworks injuries is to let a trained professional handle the fireworks. Professional fireworks shows may be impacted by COVID-19 guidelines.
Nassau teacher, her father killed after tree falls on SUV mid-drive
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ Two people died after an tree fell on an SUV on the Northside just before noon Thursday, Jacksonville Fire and Rescue confirmed. The oak tree fell across the road, striking the car mid-drive. The West Nassau High School athletic director told News4Jax that Carrie Higginbotham, a math teacher at the school, died in the crash. She said that the 37-year-oldโs father was also in the SUV and died. The high school posted on Facebook:Drivers following behind the car say they were horrified.
After putting out blaze, firefighter makes 2-year-olds day
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. The second floor of a home under construction in Avondale was heavily damaged by a fire early Monday morning. The fire marshal is investigating since there were indications the fire to a home on Boone Park Avenue just north of Hershel Street was intentionally set. Jacksonville Fire and Rescue responds to home fires almost every day in some part of town, they do their job, roll up their hoses and leave. JFRD District Chief Trevor Hyer took that as his cue. With that, Emmett Faulkner got a full tour of Engine 23, ending with him and his mom in the drivers seat.
Vehicle catches fire in garage of Ponte Vedra townhome
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. โ A vehicle caught fire in the garage of a home in Ponte Vedra Beach on Monday morning, authorities said. The fire was reported at 9:37 a.m. near Ponte Vedra Boulevard and Corona Road. St. Johns County Fire Rescue and they called Jacksonville Fire and Rescue for mutual aid. The fire was contained to the garage and limited damage was reported, SJCFR said. Firefighters said no injuries were reported.
After firefighter tests positive, 24 more are quarantined
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. A firefighter from a Southside firehouse tested positive for COVID-19 will be off the job for 14 days, as will 24 others who were around him, the city of Jacksonville said Thursday. Many of those were from Fire Station 21 on Powers Avenue, but some were also from a training class that the infected firefighter attended Wednesday morning. These are not the first from Jacksonville Fire and Rescue to test positive or require quarantine. The company will do it again Friday at the Jacksonville Association of Firefighters union hall on Stockton Street. This deep cleaning was scheduled before the latest firefighter tested positive.
JFRD: Mobile home catches on fire in the Ortega neighborhood
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue says that a mobile home caught on fire near the 5200 block of Collins Road in the Ortega neighborhood. Crews rushed to the scene at around 6 a.m., and immediately started fighting flames coming out of the home. JFRD says the fire is now under control. No injuries have been reported so far. The Red Cross is currently helping one individual who was displaced by the incident.
JFRD chief on cargo ship explosion: 'We came very close to losing some firefighters
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Five days after nine Jacksonville firefighters were injured battling a huge blaze inside a car-carrier ship docked at Blount Island Marine Terminal, all but two are out of the hospital. The firefighters escaped the ship with their lives, but with burns to their heads and hands. JFRD Chief Kieth Powers was there as the explosion happened. We came very close to losing some firefighters the other night," Powers said. Wyse is concerned that all of the firefighters involved may also have mental scars of trauma from this life-changing moment.
Driver killed in Oceanway crash
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ A man was killed Saturday morning in a single-vehicle crash in Oceanway, according to the Jacksonville Sheriffโs Office. JSO said the male driver was heading east in the 3000 block of New Berlin Road around 7:30 a.m. when his vehicle left the road and struck a ditch. The unidentified victim was pronounced dead at the scene by Jacksonville Fire and Rescue. The driver was the only person in the vehicle, JSO said, and the cause of the crash is still under investigation. New Berlin Road was closed in both directions following the crash but later reopened.
Woman who barricaded herself in Atlantic Beach home in custody
ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. The woman who had barricaded herself in a home on Cavalla Road in Atlantic Beach early Wednesday morning was taken into custody about 10:30 a.m., according to police. Police said she fired several shots while in the house, but not at officers and SWAT team members who had surrounding the house. Atlantic Beach police officers, Jacksonville Fire and Rescue personnel and members of the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office were at the scene. Her name has not been released, but police she had outstanding warrants for aggravated assault and discharging a firearm. News4Jax as a crew at the scene and will have a live report on the newscast at noon.