Officials on Saturday gave conflicting updates on the chocolate factory explosion in West Reading, Pennsylvania, that left at least two dead and more missing.
While the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency said that the death toll had risen to five with six people still missing, West Reading Mayor Samantha Kaag characterized the widely <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/24/us/fire-chocolate-factory-west-reading.html?smtyp=cur&amp;amp;smid=tw-nytimes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> death toll as &#8220;inaccurate,&#8221; <a href="https://www.witf.org/2023/03/25/a-pennsylvania-chocolate-factory-explosion-has-killed-2-people-and-5-are-missing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to local public radio station WITF-FM.
The explosion at the R.M. Palmer Co. plant rocked West Reading and the cause of the blast is still under investigation. Seven people were also hospitalized after the explosion, according to Pennsylvania Emergency Management communications director Ruth A. Miller. 
The Reading Hospital <a href="https://twitter.com/KadhimWrites/status/1639438939390898178" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> Friday evening that they had transferred one patient who had been injured during the explosion, had admitted two in &#8220;fair condition,&#8221; and released five others.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to everybody involved,” said Dean Murray, the borough manager of West Reading. Murray also said that the factory was a “staple of the borough.” 
At least one building was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-chocolate-factory-explosion-0bcc0d052393273c10c4466ff596b127" target="_blank" rel="noopener">destroyed</a> by the explosion, and another damaged, according to Chief of Police Wayne Holben, who has told people to stay away from the scene. 
Kaag released a <a href="https://www.wgal.com/article/pennsylvania-west-reading-borough-mayor-statement-chocolate-factory-explosion/43416102#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> early Saturday morning where she discussed the borough&#8217;s response to the explosion. &#8220;The tragic explosion at R.M. Palmer Company and loss of life has shaken our community. It is always difficult to come to terms with such sudden and unexpected events and unfortunately that is what has happened today. Our deepest sympathies are with the families and friends of those who have been affected,&#8221; she said.
&#8220;I&#8217;m asking for continued cooperation from the public to avoid the area of [sic] as emergency response workers continue to traverse the difficult task of recovery &amp; assessing damage that will continue throughout weekend [sic]. Please keep them in your prayers as they work tirelessly throughout the night,&#8221; she added.
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The explosion, which took place at around 5 p.m. on Friday, was caught on video by weather cameras. 
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BREAKING: Massive <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/explosion?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#explosion</a> at the RMPalmer Factory in West Redding. Our weather cameras caught the explosion. Almost at the scene to learn more from police. RMPalmer is a big chocolate candy maker, and makes a lot of Easter candy. <a href="https://twitter.com/FOX29philly?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FOX29philly</a> <a href="https://t.co/Jgpjbyt7fN">pic.twitter.com/Jgpjbyt7fN</a>
&mdash; Eddie Kadhim Journalist (@KadhimWrites) <a href="https://twitter.com/KadhimWrites/status/1639400926233473024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The R.M. Palmer Company, which began in 1948, makes a variety of chocolate products, with a large focus on holiday-themed candy for days like Easter and Valentine’s Day. The company <a href="https://rmpalmer.com/our-story/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a> that it employs 850 people.

Close-up of Blaze fire flame at night.

Pennsylvania Officials Give Conflicting Updates On Chocolate Factory Explosion That Left At Least Two Dead

Disasters

Fire

Pennsylvania

U.S.

Footage emerged of a massive explosion at a chocolate factory in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pennsylvania" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pennsylvania</a> on Friday evening that left multiple casualties.
The explosion happened at the R.M. Palmer Company chocolate factory in West Reading at around 5 p.m., according to a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/24/us/fire-chocolate-factory-west-reading.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from The New York Times.
At least two people were killed in the explosion, eight were transported to hospitals with injuries, and nine others were missing, the report said.
Law enforcement said that the cause of the explosion, which shook houses several blocks away, was under investigation.
“The explosion was so big that it moved that building four feet forward,” said Mayor Samantha Kaag. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t a great scene to come into. It was pretty scary.”
The 75-year-old company employs hundreds of people and is known for making seasonal chocolate candies.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
NEW &#8211; Massive explosion reported in a factory that produces chocolate in Reading, Pennsylvania <a href="https://t.co/wqyr9Kzh9r">pic.twitter.com/wqyr9Kzh9r</a>
&mdash; Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheInsiderPaper/status/1639413523238342658?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
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“I heard like a loud noise, like a roaring sound, then the house shake,&#8221; Liz Soto, who has a friend who works in the factory, <a href="https://www.fox29.com/news/watch-building-explosion-in-reading-triggers-multi-alarm-fire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> FOX 29. &#8220;She went to work, she&#8217;s confirmed to have gone to work, but we don&#8217;t know anything about her.&#8221;

98B34063-CE12-4974-837F-3F4FCE516628

Video Emerges Of Chocolate Factory Blowing Up In Pennsylvania, Leaving Multiple Casualties

General

Hospitals

Several people were sent to a hospital for burns Monday after a metal factory in the Cleveland area of Ohio went up in flames, creating a large plume of smoke from the building.
Local media reported witnesses heard a big “boom” shortly after 2:00 p.m. at the I Schumann &amp; Co. metal and paint plant in Oakwood Village, which produces copper alloys, in Bedford, Ohio. Several ambulances and authorities raced to the scene to rescue victims and contain the fire.
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🚨<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a>: Mass Casualty Incident after a multiple massive explosion has occurred at a metal manufacturing plant⁰⁰📌<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bedford?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bedford</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ohio?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ohio</a>⁰⁰Currently multiple authorities and emergency crews are battling a massive fire at a metal manufacturing plant in Bedford Ohio with multiple… <a href="https://t.co/62qnuVKmR8">https://t.co/62qnuVKmR8</a> <a href="https://t.co/8DhF5JDocD">pic.twitter.com/8DhF5JDocD</a>
&mdash; R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) <a href="https://twitter.com/rawsalerts/status/1627787584121217024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
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A local Fox affiliate confirmed authorities transported multiple people to the MetroHealth Medical Center hospital.
News helicopters flying over the scene witness fire and a large plume of smoke coming from the building, which firefighters reportedly have under control.
Several videos posted on social media show debris surrounding the scene and fire-damaged vehicles nearby.
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Ohio explosion at a metal factory is being reported as a ‘mass casualty incident.’
Pray for Ohio.<a href="https://t.co/DhjdRvBATI">pic.twitter.com/DhjdRvBATI</a>
&mdash; Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) <a href="https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/1627777165508112386?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
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This story is breaking and will be updated.

Smoke background,Flame,Sparkles.

Ohio Metal Manufacturing Plant Explodes, Sending Multiple People To Hospital

Ohio

Ohio Train Disaster

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york-city" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York City</a> Fire Department said Friday that 20 firefighters were injured while responding to a fire in a residential neighborhood.
The incident happened while firefighters were responding to a 4-alarm fire, which is considered a catastrophic event that most fire departments only <a href="https://desert-fire.com/1-2-3-4-5-alarm-fire/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">encounter</a> a few times per year.
&#8220;FDNY members are continuing to operate at a 4-alarm fire at 88 Shotwell Avenue on Staten Island,&#8221; the fire department said. &#8220;There are currently three Firefighters with serious injuries and 17 Firefighters with non-life-threatening injuries. The fire has been placed under control.&#8221;
The two family home <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/live-updates/multi-alarm-fire-collapse-reported-on-staten-island-at-least-1-firefighter-treated/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> collapsed.
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FDNY members are continuing to operate at a 4-alarm fire at 88 Shotwell Avenue on Staten Island. There are currently three Firefighters with serious injuries and 17 Firefighters with non-life-threatening injuries. The fire has been placed under control. <a href="https://t.co/lrRRHJxUuV">pic.twitter.com/lrRRHJxUuV</a>
&mdash; FDNY (@FDNY) <a href="https://twitter.com/FDNY/status/1626693337615826944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2023</a></blockquote>
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A spokesperson for New York City Mayor Eric Adams said on Twitter that the mayor was &#8220;[en route] to Staten Island North hospital to visit with the @FDNY firefighters seriously injured after a four-alarm fire on Staten Island earlier this afternoon.&#8221;
A spokesperson for the fire department said at a press conference Friday night that fire was a &#8220;close call&#8221; for the department and that the three fighters could have easily been killed.
The chief of the department said that the fire was started between the two homes in the rear and quickly spread to both homes. The windows on the homes failed and the wind outside blew the fire &#8220;intensely into the building right at the firefighters.&#8221;
The fire chief said that two of the firefighters became trapped inside while the third firefighter was able to jump off the second story balcony to get out of harm&#8217;s way. One of the firefighters was seriously hurt, had debris fall down and hit him on the head and knock his mask off, resulting in him breathing in a lot of smoke.
The fire chief said that the intensity of the fire when first responders arrived on scene is not something that fire officials see that often.

FDNY

20 Firefighters Injured In New York City Fire

Firefighter

New York

Terminal 1 at John F. Kennedy International Airport in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york-city" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York City</a> was closed on Thursday and Friday as a result of a <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/disasters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">power</a> outage and subsequent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fire</a>.
An “electrical panel failure” caused a “small isolated fire” that was immediately extinguished, according to a social media <a href="https://twitter.com/JFKairport/status/1626322567538540545?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> from the airport. Terminal 1, which handles flight traffic from major international carriers such as Air France, Lufthansa, Japan Airlines, and Korea Air, will also remain closed on Friday due to the electrical issues.
“Travelers should check with their carriers for flight status before coming to the airport,” said another social media <a href="https://twitter.com/JFKairport/status/1626431965053300738?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1626431965053300738%7Ctwgr%5E822441a15b52862633a1b115e3d2a21b7530d662%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2Fnews%2Fjfk-terminal-1-outage-fire-delays-cancellations%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> from the airport, which noted that authorities are “working with the terminal’s operator to restore flight operations as quickly as possible.”
All four flights from JFK Airport scheduled by Lufthansa, all six flights scheduled by Swiss Air Lines, and both flights scheduled by TAP Air Portugal were canceled on Friday, according to <a href="https://flightaware.com/live/cancelled/today/KJFK" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from FlightAware. Other international providers, including Air France and ITA Airways, likewise canceled a majority of their flights.
The electrical outage forced one plane from Air New Zealand to reverse course eight hours into its flight, according to a <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/jfk-airport-power-outage/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from CNN. The company told the outlet that diverting to another airport in the United States “would have meant the aircraft would remain on the ground for several days, impacting a number of other scheduled services and customers.”
&#8220;Not really sure what’s going on. No one is aware of the situation, at least that’s what it seems like,&#8221; Anthony Russo, a passenger who was hoping to travel to London, said in an <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/jfk-power-outage-at-terminal-1-today-wreaks-international-travel-chaos-what-to-know/4109427/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with NBC New York. &#8220;I had a lot planned, I was gonna see some friends, and now I don’t know what the hell is happening.&#8221;
The mass cancellation of international flights at JFK Airport, one of the busiest airports in the United States, is one of several issues to throttle the air travel sector in recent months.
Severe winter weather prompted nationwide delays and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/southwest-reveals-how-much-holiday-flight-meltdown-will-cost-them" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cancellations</a> for Southwest Airlines during the hectic Christmas travel season; the company nixed some 16,700 flights between December 21 and December 31, according to a <a href="https://otp.tools.investis.com/clients/us/southwest/SEC/sec-show.aspx?Type=html&amp;FilingId=16303107&amp;CIK=0000092380&amp;Index=10000" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filing</a> submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Federal Aviation Administration, also known as the FAA, then <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/faa-reveals-more-details-on-system-outage-that-grounded-flights-nationwide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">grounded</a> all flights nationwide early on January 11 as the agency’s Notice to Air Missions system unexpectedly failed. Officials later determined that “personnel unintentionally deleted files while working to correct synchronization between the live primary database and a backup database.”
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/transportation-secretary-pete-buttigieg-has-been-on-paid-leave-for-months-amid-supply-chain-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">took</a> months of paid leave as a supply chain crisis hamstrung the economy and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/buttigieg-vacationed-in-posh-european-tourist-destination-as-rail-unions-neared-strike" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vacationed</a> in Portugal as the possibility of a nationwide rail strike loomed, has received criticism from both Democrats and Republicans over his job performance. Calls for accountability from the former presidential candidate reemerged as a Chinese surveillance balloon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jake-tapper-grills-pete-buttigieg-over-bidens-handling-of-chinese-spy-balloon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">traversed</a> the entire continental United States and a train <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/buttigieg-touts-funding-to-improve-rail-safety-in-wake-of-ohio-train-crash-doesnt-mention-what-hes-doing-right-now-to-help" target="_blank" rel="noopener">derailment</a> in East Palestine, Ohio, threatened the small town with a severe chemical fallout.
Republicans especially have contended that Buttigieg has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ill-save-a-seat-for-you-ohio-congressman-says-it-is-past-time-buttigieg-hears-out-residents-harmed-by-train-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">misplaced</a> priorities. One <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/buttigiegs-focus-is-ramming-through-equity-not-assuring-transportation-safety-his-departments-website-proves-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from The Daily Wire observed that the Transportation Department has prioritized “institutionalizing equity” at the agency under Buttigieg’s tenure.

FAA System Outage Causes Nationwide Flight Departure Stoppage

Fire, Power Outage At JFK Airport Causes Delayed, Canceled Flights

Power Outage At JFK Airport Causes Canceled Flights

Air and Space

Air Travel

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

New York City

Emergency personnel are responding to a warehouse <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fire</a> that started on Thursday in Kissimmee, <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/florida" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Florida</a>, that is causing massive plumes of black smoke to rise into the sky.
Fire crews from Osceola County, Orange County, and Kissimmee Fire Department are working to subdue the blaze, which started after five acres of plastic planters caught fire at a nursery supply company, according to a <a href="https://www.wftv.com/news/local/crews-respond-large-fire-osceola-county/QA2GY5RMMBEGVEMGFNEEQQKPVM/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from WFTV, which added that authorities are tracking air quality in the area. Phylicia Ashley, a reporter with WFTV, shared footage depicting a massive amount of black smoke visible from two miles away.
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Headed to a large industrial fire in Osceola County. 5 acres on fire. This is the view from Poinciana Blvd nearly 2 miles away. Will bring you the latest details on <a href="https://twitter.com/WFTV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WFTV</a> <a href="https://t.co/pe9J42EkD6">pic.twitter.com/pe9J42EkD6</a>
— Phylicia Ashley (@Pashleytv) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pashleytv/status/1626189039899488257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2023</a></blockquote>
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First responders were still attempting to subdue the fire in Kissimmee, which is south of Orlando, Florida, as of 7:00 a.m. Thursday morning. Video shared by Jerry Hume, a reporter from Spectrum News 13, shows firefighters battling the massive blaze, according to a <a href="https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2023/02/16/osceola-county-firefighters-called-out-to-large-fire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the outlet.
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Several agencies are assisting in battling this massive fire off Avenue A. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/News13Osceola?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#News13Osceola</a> <a href="https://t.co/GXybdQBe3P">pic.twitter.com/GXybdQBe3P</a>
— Jerry Hume (@JerryHume) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryHume/status/1626194847659859970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The Daily Wire asked the Osceola Fire Department about the cause of the blaze, whether the fire has been extinguished, and whether any injuries or deaths occurred as a result of the incident; this article will be updated with any response.
The warehouse fire comes after a Norfolk Southern train carrying industrial chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, on February 3, raising concerns about air and water quality in the Ohio River Basin. Authorities evacuated all residents within one mile of the crash and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/evacuation-ordered-ohio-governor-warns-major-explosion-could-send-shrapnel-a-mile-from-derailed-train" target="_blank" rel="noopener">started</a> a controlled burn of the volatile chemicals to decrease the risk of an explosion, which could have sent shrapnel throughout the small town. Vinyl chloride, a carcinogen used to manufacture PVC, was therefore released from five train cars last week in the form of massive plumes of dark smoke visible throughout eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania.
Beyond the release of vinyl chloride, Norfolk Southern <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/company-responsible-for-ohio-train-derailment-issues-list-of-cancer-causing-substances-released" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a> the EPA that a number of other dangerous chemicals were present at the derailment site. One train car containing ethylene glycol monobutyl ether currently has an “unknown status,” according to Norfolk Southern, while the amount of ethylhexyl acrylate in another car is still “pending.”
The EPA issued the full list of substances present at the site only after residents were told they could return to their homes. One first responder said in an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/unlike-anything-i-have-ever-seen-ohio-first-responder-says-residents-suffer-from-health-issues-after-train-derailment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with The Daily Wire that he and his colleagues experienced “bad cough, headaches, sore throat, and diarrhea” after assisting community members affected by the incident.
The derailment, which has received minimal attention from senior officials in the Biden administration, has likewise received lackluster <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/three-legacy-media-outlets-have-spent-less-than-30-combined-minutes-covering-ohio-train-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coverage</a> from legacy media outlets. Analysts from the Media Research Center examined all broadcast coverage of the incident between February 4 and February 14; the conservative nonprofit <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/three-legacy-media-outlets-have-spent-less-than-30-combined-minutes-covering-ohio-train-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">concluded</a> that CBS devoted a mere 9 minutes and 53 seconds of total airtime to the scandal, while ABC had 9 minutes and 31 seconds, followed by NBC with 8 minutes and 52 seconds.
Governor Josh Shapiro (D-PA) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pennsylvania-governor-suggests-company-involved-in-ohio-train-crash-wanted-to-burn-off-chemicals-to-get-railway-opened-faster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> on Tuesday that Norfolk Southern provided opaque information to emergency officials; the company allegedly “failed to explore all potential courses of action, including some that may have kept the rail line closed longer but could have resulted in a safer overall approach for first responders, residents, and the environment.”

Massive Five-Acre Fire Breaks Out At Florida Warehouse

Massive Fire Breaks Out At Florida Plastic Warehouse

Chemicals

Florida

Residents of a small <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ohio" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ohio</a> town were ordered to evacuate after a massive <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fire</a> was caused by a 50-car train derailment Friday. 
People living in East Palestine, Ohio, were told to evacuate if they lived within a one-mile radius of the train crash, which spawned a massive fire that lit up the night sky at around 9:00 p.m. Friday.
“If you are within a one-mile radius of the James Street crossing please evacuate,” <a href="https://www.whsv.com/video/2023/02/04/mayor-orders-evacuations-after-ohio-train-derailment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Mayor Trent Conaway, who added that the EPA was monitoring the air quality around the town of just over 4,700 people. 
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Powerful <a href="https://twitter.com/21WFMJNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@21WFMJNews</a> drone video from East Palestine train derailment. Powered by <a href="https://twitter.com/680aerials?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@680aerials</a> <a href="https://t.co/1zU1VTAQse">pic.twitter.com/1zU1VTAQse</a>
&mdash; Sheila Marie Miller (@21NewsEP) <a href="https://twitter.com/21NewsEP/status/1621742116744400896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
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During the derailment, several trains caught on fire and were carrying hazardous materials, <a href="https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/local/2023/02/04/train-derailment-fire-cause-evacuation-in-east-palestine/69873130007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to East Palestine Fire Chief Keith A. Drabick. “If you have to come to East Palestine, don’t,” he said. “Stay out of the area.”
According to Norfolk Southern, the train&#8217;s operator, <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/ohio/articles/2023-02-04/ohio-train-derailment-causes-causes-fire-home-evacuations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">about</a> 20 of the train’s 100 cars had hazardous materials including “flammables, combustibles, or environmental risks.” The train, bound for Conway, Pennsylvania, was coming from Madison, Illinois. There have been no reported injuries or deaths yet as a result of the crash and subsequent fire. 
While the cause of the crash is currently unknown, a team from the National Safety Transportation Board is being sent out to investigate. Firefighting teams from three states came to help, according to Conaway, though they struggled to douse the fire because of frigid conditions. East Palestine is not far from Pennsylvania and West Virginia. 
Evacuation shelters at a local high school and community center were opened for those residents (between 1,500-2,000) who were told to leave. &#8220;We&#8217;re glad to be here for the community,&#8221; <a href="https://www.wfmj.com/story/48310981/east-palestine-families-seek-shelter-following-massive-fire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> East Palestine City Schools Superintendent Chris Neifer. &#8220;There&#8217;s really nowhere else to go unless you&#8217;re going out of town at this point.&#8221;
One local, William Hugar, told WFMJ that the fire came near his house. “When the fire started spreading behind my house, I knew it was time to go,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Police came up and told me. I knew it was time to evacuate.&#8221;
Another local, Ann McAnlis, said she learned of the fire from a neighbor. “And my neighbor texted me and she asked me if I knew that there was an accident with the trains. She took a picture of the glow in the sky from the front porch. That&#8217;s when I knew how substantial this was,” she said.

Residents Of Ohio Town Evacuate After Train Carrying Hazardous Material Crashes, Causing Massive Fire

Train

Arsonists tried to light a small business on fire in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a> this week, but not before catching themselves on fire.
Surveillance video footage from the business showed masked vandals dousing the front of Servicio de Imigracion, a tax and immigration service in Bakersfield, with gasoline and attempting to light it on fire. Flames suddenly erupt while the two criminals are still standing in front of the building, and both run away from the blaze screaming. Police are still investigating the incident.
In the video, taken by surveillance video cameras outside the business, two vandals wearing dark clothes with bandanas covering their faces walk up to the front of the building, holding canisters of gasoline. A floodlight turns on at the motion, but they walk away from it. The two vandals walk up to the front of the building and begin pouring the gas around the front perimeter. One of the arsonists then lights the gasoline, which immediately ignites in their faces, which catches them both by surprise.
The first suspect scrambles away with flames lapping his right leg; the second one tries to get away, but slips and falls on the sidewalk. He gets up and immediately falls again. The flames catch the right arm of his hoodie. He screams audibly as he runs away with his sleeve on fire. A second angle showed that the flames caught on the second man&#8217;s shirt tail and lit his back on fire as well.
Firefighters told local news outlet <a href="https://www.turnto23.com/news/local-news/suspected-arsonists-set-bakersfield-business-and-themselves-on-fire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC 23</a> that they were able to put out the fire within 10 minutes after they arrived on scene. The damage was contained to a garage, they said.
The owner of Servicio de Imigracion, Max Solorzano, told the outlet he was disappointed in Bakersfield officials for not doing enough to keep the city safe. &#8220;They have to work harder in that aspect, in keeping the community safe,&#8221; he said in an interview. &#8220;We are a small business and we help many people, so there will be people who will not be able to receive our services due to inactivity. That is what most saddens me. We help many farmworker families with their immigration processes, we help people do taxes. We ask our clients to have patience with us, we will get through this.&#8221;
The schemes of hasty criminals have a tendency to go up in flames. A man in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/would-be-utah-gas-thief-lights-himself-on-fire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Utah</a> who was attempting to steal fuel from a parked truck in Salt Lake City, Utah, accidentally lit himself on fire, as The Daily Wire reported in June. The thief was attempting to siphon gas, in broad daylight, from a box truck parked outside Summit Fire and Protection in Salt Lake City when he caught fire and was forced to run away from the truck, local NBC affiliate <a href="https://www.ksl.com/article/50423275/thief-caught-on-camera-drilling-into-gas-tank--and-catching-on-fire">KSL-TV</a> reported.
Then in October, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-suspect-in-high-speed-police-chase-bursts-into-flames-after-being-tasered" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arkansas State Police</a> accidentally lit a man on fire when they attempted to tase him after a high-speed chase in Little Rock. Unbeknownst to the Troopers, the suspect had a canister of gas in his backpack; the taser prongs likely punctured the can, the YouTuber who posted the video wrote.

Would-Be Arsonists Try To Set California Small Business On Fire, End Up Igniting Themselves

Arson

Berkeley, California

California

Crime

An enormous fire broke out in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york-city" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York City</a> Police Department evidence warehouse in Brooklyn Tuesday.
The fire erupted at around 10:40 a.m. local time at the Erie Basin Auto Pond in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn, officials said. Dozens of impounded vehicles were kept at the facility; biological evidence from decades of crimes was also stored there. The three-alarm inferno, which injured several first responders and civilians, was visible from across New York City, according to photos on social media.
&#8220;We attempted an interior fire attack, but [firefighters] were overwhelmed by the amount of fire and we had to back all of our firefighters out of the building and go to an exterior attack,&#8221; New York City Fire Chief John Hodgens said in a <a href="https://twitter.com/NYPDnews/status/1602730255093235714?s=20&amp;t=gv-2yxaw_9_sfk-kzijBTw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press conference</a> after the fire had been controlled. &#8220;We have a third alarm assignment right now with about 150 fire and EMS personnel.”
According to Hodgens, the FDNY had deployed three fire boats to fight the fire, and were using drones to pinpoint where the boats could effectively target it. Firefighters had to retreat from inside the building after the initial response because buildings of that type have a high collapse potential; a section of the building did collapse shortly after they arrived on the scene. The large amount of combustible material made it even more unsafe inside the building.
Eight people in total were injured: three firefighters, three Emergency Medical Services personnel, and two civilians. All reported only minor injuries, Hodgens said.
Because the fire boats were doing most of the work from the outside, Hodgens said putting out the fire would take a long time. Warehouses of this type are sealed from the outside, meaning firefighters needed to wait for the fire to create openings in the building where they could engage.
“This fire is probably going to go on for a few days, by the time we&#8217;re able to fully extinguish it and get inside, possibly to get to the deep-seated areas,&#8221; he said.
Also during the press briefing, NYPD Chief Jeffrey Maddrey said that the warehouse is home to a large amount of biological evidence from past crimes, as well as many vehicles. Some of the evidence — from incidents like burglaries and shootings — goes back decades.
A number of vehicles were also impounded at the warehouse, most of which had been seized for reasons other than traffic violations — the owner may have been arrested, or the cars were being used in investigations or legal matters, <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/watch-live-smoke-billows-over-brooklyn-as-fire-rages-off-water/3994327/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC 4 New York</a> reported. Some of the vehicles there were historic, but there were also a number of e-bikes and electric ATVs, though officials did say they removed the electric batteries as a precaution against fires.
Officials said they could not estimate the total amount of damage done by the blaze. Once the fire is put out, police plan to conduct a full inventory of all the items stored at the warehouse and then a full accounting of what was lost and what can be salvaged.
The blaze was also visible from across the city. Twitter users posted photos and videos of smoke billowing out from the warehouse into the skyline; some of the photos were taken only <a href="https://twitter.com/maddiehawkinson/status/1602701315552976896?s=20&amp;t=Xk-llMsu9LeGe9nYLbm3EQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blocks</a> from the site, but others were taken from the <a href="https://twitter.com/_vade/status/1602708875135918086?s=20&amp;t=RCMul2DrTjvzs_xwyzlO_Q" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brooklyn waterfront</a>, the <a href="https://twitter.com/rawsalerts/status/1602708893137883137?s=20&amp;t=Ka7Rsncs1AeBMe9x3yRFtQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Manhattan skyline</a>, and the <a href="https://twitter.com/CoolCatClurrr/status/1602702211137634305?s=20&amp;t=AIw3hS5wf8ZRkjGPVfXY6Q" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Statue of Liberty</a>. One user even posted a picture from a <a href="https://twitter.com/TomLovesTechno/status/1602761640990150656?s=20&amp;t=yJxJGGuD2oUMK6iWpoj4Kw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plane</a> landing in New York.

Brooklyn fire 12/13

Enormous Three-Alarm Blaze Rips Through NYPD Evidence Warehouse, FDNY Says Could Take Days To Fully Put Out

NYPD

President Joe Biden&#8217;s Secret Service rental vehicles were part of a large fire just one day after he left from a Nantucket vacation.
The Monday fire at the Nantucket Memorial Airport in Massachusetts included five vehicles rented from Hertz that were used to transport the president and his family.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
A large car fire involving multiple rental vehicles at Nantucket Memorial Airport is now out. There were no injuries reported but at least four cars sustained significant damage. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nantucket?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nantucket</a> <a href="https://t.co/VF7Zh7qoot">pic.twitter.com/VF7Zh7qoot</a>
&mdash; Nantucket Current (@ACKCurrent) <a href="https://twitter.com/ACKCurrent/status/1597193896014278656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;A large car fire involving multiple rental vehicles at Nantucket Memorial Airport is now out. There were no injuries reported but at least four cars sustained significant damage,&#8221; the Nantucket Current tweeted in a series of posts alongside videos and pictures of the damage.
&#8220;The fire was just 40 feet away from the airport’s 25,000-gallon jet fuel tanks,&#8221; the outlet added.
The vehicles involved in the fire included a Chevy Suburban, Ford Explorer, Infiniti QX80, Ford Expedition, and Jeep Gladiator. The Expedition was reportedly under a battery recall, though the source of the fire has not yet been determined.
The airport was briefly closed due to the fire but soon reopened.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Active fire at airport. Cause unknown. Airport closed at this time.
&mdash; Nantucket Airport (@AirportACK) <a href="https://twitter.com/AirportACK/status/1597176855593111553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Airport officials shared a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/bidens-secret-service-rental-vehicles-burst-flames-left-nantucket-vacation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> about the blaze with the Current.
&#8220;At approximately 5:22 am Airport shift staff observed an active fire in the rental car overflow area through the Airport&#8217;s Closed Circuit Television System,&#8221; the statement said. &#8220;Staff activated the Alert system and responded to the fire in Airport-3, where they were met by responding units from Nantucket Fire Department and Nantucket Police Department.&#8221;
&#8220;Combined fire resources responded and contained the fire. Several vehicles were damaged. The Airport is currently coordinating with rental car agencies and agency partners to ensure scene safety, There is no longer an active fire at this time: the Airport is open, and aeronautical operations are not affected,&#8221; the statement continued.
The local Inquirer and Mirror newspaper also posted images of the burned vehicles on Monday, noting that the fire occurred in the overflow parking lot.
The investigation is ongoing, and no results have been made public.
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Several vehicles heavily damaged in rental-car lot at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nantucket?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Nantucket</a> Memorial Airport Monday morning:<a href="https://t.co/P3DXg3XCBz">https://t.co/P3DXg3XCBz</a> <a href="https://t.co/0zkzChZLYX">pic.twitter.com/0zkzChZLYX</a>
&mdash; Inquirer and Mirror (@InkyM) <a href="https://twitter.com/InkyM/status/1597200522754547714?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The president and first lady Jill Biden stayed at a location along Nantucket Harbor over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, part of a decades-long family tradition. Nantucket is a small island about 30 miles off the coast of Cape Cod.
In a strange twist, the Bidens visited the Nantucket Fire Department last week to thank firefighters for their service. The Bidens gave firefighters pumpkin pies from Pie Shop in Washington D.C., <a href="https://www.nantucketcurrent.com/president-biden-visits-nantucket-fire-department-on-thanksgiving" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> the Nantucket Current.

Nantucket Current/ @ACKCurrent

Biden’s Secret Service Rental Vehicles Burn In Flames 1 Day After His Nantucket Departure

Executive

Joe Biden

Massachusetts

Secret Service

Thanksgiving

Vacation

Comedian Jay Leno returned to the stage over the weekend for the first time since he sustained serious burns to parts of his upper body and face in a gasoline fire while working on a vintage car earlier this month.
Leno arrived at the Comedy &amp; Magic Club in Hermosa Beach, California, Sunday night and he turned heads when he pulled up because he hit a police car, according to video of the incident obtained by <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2022/11/27/jay-leno-arrives-first-standup-comedy-gig-fire-burns-hits-cop-car/?adid=social-twa">TMZ</a>.
&#8220;I&#8217;m not on stage yet, I just got here!&#8221; Leno said to the press as they hounded him the moment he stepped out of his car. &#8220;Stay away from the Flamin&#8217; Hot Doritos, that&#8217;s what caused all this!&#8221;
Leno approached the police and asked them about the damage that was done to their vehicle and it appeared as though his car just grazed the side of the police car&#8217;s tire.
&#8220;The National Enquirer got the story all wrong, they said I was in the hospital because Nancy Pelosi hit me in the head with a hammer,&#8221; Leno joked with reporters. &#8220;That&#8217;s not what happened.&#8221;
When asked if he was nervous about getting back up on stage, Leno responded, &#8220;No, we got two shows tonight: Regular and extra crispy.&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Jay Leno ON STAGE FOR THE FIRST TIME since the explosion, but he HITS 2 COP CARS FIRST! Seriously!" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tFen6zy5iy0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jay-lenos-doctor-gives-update-after-comedian-suffers-significant-burns-in-car-fire" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Leno</a> was released from the hospital last Monday, more than a week after he sustained third-degree burns while working on his 1907 White Steam Car.
Leno, who injured his hands and face, underwent grafting procedures at the Grossman Burn Center in Los Angeles. Dr. Peter Grossman seemed to revise his initial concerns that it might take more than a couple of weeks for Leno to be back on his feet.
“I am pleased with Jay’s progress, and I am optimistic that he will make a full recovery,” Grossman, a board-certified plastic surgeon, told <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/jay-leno-reveals-burns-from-fire-released-from-hospital">Fox News Digital</a>.
Leno, a car enthusiast whose collection includes McLarens, Bugattis, and Bentleys, was working to repair a clogged fuel line when a leak caused gasoline to spray over his face and hands. A spark then caused an explosion, which ignited the gas.
Leno told TMZ that his friend Dave, who was in the garage with him at the time, was able to smother the flames — otherwise, he said that the fire was serious enough that it easily could have killed him.
Eric Quintanar contributed to this report. 
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tim-allen-visits-jay-leno-in-the-hospital-hes-going-with-the-george-clooney-look">Tim Allen Visits Jay Leno In The Hospital: ‘He’s Going With The George Clooney Look’</a>

Celebrity Sightings In Los Angeles – November 22, 2022

WATCH: Jay Leno Hits Police Car On Way To Perform On Stage For First Time Since Burn Accident

Celebrities

Jay Leno

A Texas woman called the home of her ex-boyfriend, only to hear another woman answer the phone.
That allegedly prompted her to travel to his home, burglarize it, then set his couch on fire, leading to the home going up in flames. But she was apparently <a href="https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2022/11/22/woman-charged-with-burglarizing-exs-southwest-bexar-county-home-setting-it-on-fire-records-show/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">missing</a> a vital piece of information: The mystery woman was her former boyfriend’s relative.
“I hope your stuff is going to be ok,” Senaida Marie Soto, 23, texted her boyfriend while she was driving away from his home, according to the police.
Soto was charged with arson of a habitation/place of assembly and burglary of a habitation.
“Senaida Soto was reportedly in a romantic relationship with a family member of the home owner,” the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BexarCoSheriff/posts/443564091286085" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a> on its Facebook website, continuing:
&#8220;Soto had FaceTimed her boyfriend, when another woman answered his phone, who later turned out to be a relative of the boyfriend. Soto became upset that another woman answered her boyfriend’s phone, went to the boyfriend’s house, and that is when she lit the couch in the living room on fire,&#8221; the police said. &#8220;While the house was on fire, video was recorded and it was shown that she lit the couch on fire that spread, causing the home to go up in flames, as well as causing over $50,000 worth of damages.&#8221;
Some studies have shown that women can be driven to extreme measures because of jealousy, including one from the Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences journal.
&#8220;[T]he results show that, contrary to previous findings, women tend to be more jealous than men of their partner’s opposite-sex platonic friend and are more concerned with sexual infidelity than emotional infidelity,” <a href="https://www.psypost.org/2022/05/study-finds-women-are-more-jealous-than-men-of-their-spouses-opposite-sex-friend-63150">PsyPost</a> said of the study. “Women reported higher levels of overall jealousy than men when imagining their spouse’s female friend.”
Another 2012 study conducted by researchers at Ohio State University involved listening to the phone conversations between 17 couples in which the man was in jail for felony-level domestic violence. In these cases, violences was often associated with a contentious relationship related to infidelity that the couples had fought over.

soto

Woman Allegedly Torches Ex-Boyfriend’s Home After Other Woman Answers Phone. There Was One Thing She Didn’t Know.

Woman Allegedly Torches Ex-Boyfriend's Home After Other Woman Answers Phone. There Was One Thing She Didn't Know. 

Boyfriend

Texas

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