Search Results for: fire

Oak Ridge has July 4 concert, fireworks

Posted at 12:59 pm July 4, 2022
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The annual July 4 concert and fireworks show is in Oak Ridge this evening.

The Independence Day fireworks display will be held in Alvin K. Bissell Park on Monday, July 4, and it is scheduled to begin at dark, around 9:45 p.m. In order to set up for the event, the walking trails in Bissell Park will be closed beginning at 8:30 a.m. the morning of the event, a press release said.

The Oak Ridge Community Band will perform before the fireworks. The concert is free, but donations are accepted by the band to help cover the cost of equipment and other expenses, the press release said. The music is expected to begin at 7:30 p.m.

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Man, two dogs displaced after battery sparks fire

Posted at 7:11 pm December 9, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

An Oak Ridge man and his two dogs were displaced following a fire at their Cedar Lane home early Wednesday morning.

The Oak Ridge Fire Department responded to the house at 2:56 a.m. Wednesday after the homeowner said a lithium battery was on fire in his living room.

Firefighters arrived on scene within three minutes of the call and found smoke and fire in the front of the residence, a press release said. Crews were able to contain the fire within 10 minutes, but there was significant smoke and heat damage throughout the home.

The man and his dogs were able to safely evacuate before the fire department arrived, the press release said. He credited his working smoke alarms for alerting him to the fire and allowing a safe exit.

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Smoke from wildfires in West, Canada causes haze in Oak Ridge

Posted at 12:44 pm July 22, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

*Haze obscures the mountains north of Oak Ridge in this view from Pine Ridge on Wednesday evening, July 21, 2021. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)*

Smoke from enormous wildfires in the western United States and Canada is causing haze in Oak Ridge and across the eastern United States, and affecting air quality in many regions.

This map shows the locations of fires in the northwest United States and Canada, the smoke plume spreading across North America, and air quality indices. (Map by AirNow.gov via National Weather Service in Morristown)

On Thursday, CBS News reported that there are wildfires burning in 13 states, and 83 large fires have burned close to 1.3 million acres. The largest fire, the Bootleg Fire in Oregon, was burning more than 476 square miles, an area about the size of Los Angeles and three times the size of Detroit.

Smoke from the wildfires is blowing into Canada and then south around the Great Lakes and east to the East Coast, according to a map posted by AirNow.gov and shared by the National Weather Service in Morristown.

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Soil being removed for Y-12 fire station

Posted at 4:17 pm July 3, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

*Soil is being removed for a new fire station at the Y-12 National Security Complex. (Photo by Y-12)*

About 15,000 cubic yards of soil needs to be excavated to flatten a site for a new fire station at the Y-12 National Security Complex, and almost half of the soil has been removed so far, officials said this week.

The new fire station is one of several under construction at Y-12. Others include an emergency operations center and the Uranium Processing Facility. There was a groundbreaking for the fire station in April, after construction had already started on the emergency operations center.

The fire station replaces one built in 1947, and the EOC will be the home of the siteâ€™s operations center, which is currently located in a World War II-era building.

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ORFD has new truck to fight brush fires

Posted at 4:39 pm July 1, 2021
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

*The Oak Ridge Fire Department has a new truck designed for putting out brush fires. (Photo by ORFD)*

The Oak Ridge Fire Department has a new truck designed to fight brush fires.

The new vehicle, Brush 1, was purchased by the city, and the equipment was purchased with a grant received from Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, for off-site emergency planning and response in the amount of $16,000.

It has a 300-gallon per minute Hale pump with a 300-gallon capacity water tank and a five-gallon foam storage tank, a press release said.

It can pump water through a bumper-mounted nozzle, which is operated via joystick inside the cab, while the vehicle is being driven so fire along the roadside can be contained and extinguished. This prevents having to deploy a hose line for a small area and helps to cover a larger area in less time, the press release said.

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3 displaced, none injured after being rescued from apartment fire

Posted at 7:55 am June 24, 2021
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

*Three people are safe after a fire at an apartment complex on Glassboro Drive Wednesday morning. (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)*

Three people who had been asleep are safe after being evacuated from a fire at an apartment complex on Glassboro Drive on Wednesday morning.

At around 8:57 a.m. June 23, Oak Ridge Fire Department crews were dispatched to 114 Glassboro Drive. Firefighters arrived on scene within six minutes of the dispatch, the City of Oak Ridge said in a press release.

â€œThe first arriving crew found smoke showing from the top of the apartment building,â€ Oak Ridge Fire Marshal Eric Rackard said. â€œDuring a search of the apartments, three residents were found asleep in the apartment that was on fire. Crews were able to safely evacuate all residents and they were not injured.â€

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Oak Ridge will have Independence Day fireworks

Posted at 10:21 am June 18, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

*Fireworks at Alvin K. Bissell Park in Oak Ridge on July 4, 2017. (File photo by D. Ray Smith)*

Oak Ridge will have its fireworks show to celebrate Independence Day this year.

The annual display was canceled last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The fireworks show will be in Alvin K. Bissell Park on Sunday, July 4, and it is scheduled to begin at dark, around 9:45 p.m.

The Oak Ridge Community Band, now in its 77th year, will perform prior to the fireworks. the press release said. The concert is free, but donations are accepted by the band to help cover the cost of equipment and other expenses. The music is expected to begin at 7:30 p.m.

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For members: Council approves purchase of 3 drones for police, fire

Posted at 1:26 pm May 20, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge City Council in a special meeting on Tuesday approved the purchase of three drones that will help police officers and firefighters battle blazes, find lost people, and respond to calls about people barricaded with weapons.

The seven-member Council had deferred a vote on the drones during its May 10 meeting after members raised questions about privacy, civil liberties, and requests for images or videos inadvertently captured by the drones.

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The rest of this story is available if you are a member: a subscriber, advertiser, or contributor to Oak Ridge Today.

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Basic

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Temporary access ($3 per week for two weeks)

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P.O. Box 6064
Oak Ridge, TN 37831

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We also acceptÂ donations. You can donateÂ here. A donation of $50 or more will make you eligible for a subscription.

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A new fire station is being built at the Y-12 National Security Complex. Above, NNSA, Consolidated Nuclear Security, and Y-12 Fire Station leaders toss the first shovels of dirt for the new fire station on Tuesday, April 27, 2021. (Photo by Y-12)

A new fire station and emergency operations center are being built at the Y-12 National Security Complex.

They are pilot projects designed to streamline the efficiency and delivery of specific construction projects under $50 million, the National Nuclear Security Administration said in a press release.

The NNSA, which is part of the U.S. Department of Energy, and Y-12 managing and operating contractor Consolidated Nuclear Security had a groundbreaking ceremony for the fire station on Tuesday. A few blocks away, the emergency operations center (EOC) is already under construction.

The fire station replaces one built in 1947, and the EOC will be the home of the siteâ€™s operations center, which is currently located in a World War II-era building. â€œTogether, these new facilities will replace two outdated buildings and enhance our emergency response capabilities,â€ said Gene Sievers, Y-12 site manager.

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