After his passing, Jay made one final sacrifice and was transported to Moffitt Cancer Center to donate his organs for cancer research.

Upon his arrival at Moffitt, members of Tampa Fire Rescue and the Temple Terrace Fire Department stood to honor him, and on the journey home, first responders lined Interstate-75 from Tampa to Charlotte County in salute.

Video of the tribute was posted to the Charlotte County Public Safety Facebook page, showing first responders lining up to pay respects to a “brother they may have never met but instantly knew,” according to the caption posted alongside it.

The Charlotte County Fire & EMS, along with his family, will honor Sander’s sacrifice and service during his Last Alarm, which will be held on Thursday, June 25.

WFLA-TV NBC 8 Tampa

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“Despite the tireless efforts of medical professionals and the unwavering support of his family, his injuries proved to be insurmountable,” MCFR said.

The crash happened on June 14. “As an organ donor, Evan’s family made the courageous decision to honor his final wish to help others,” a news release says. Fire Chief James Banta said Evan dedicated his life to serving others.

“Even in the face of unimaginable tragedy, he continued that mission. In his last act of service, Evan saved multiple lives through his gifts as an organ donor,” Banta said. “His compassion, dedication, and commitment to helping others will never be forgotten. We ask our community to keep Evan’s family, friends, and our Marion County Fire Rescue family in their thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”

WESH-TV NBC 2 Orlando

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A south-east wind direction has helped push the smoke and haze from the brush fires more inland so air quality has improved for much of Broward County, but there is an air quality alert in effect for Miami-Dade until 3 p.m.

The fire dubbed “Quarry 2,” east of Krome Avenue, has been the most widespread, burning 19,018 acres so far. It is 97% contained, while the Well fire, near Northwest 122nd Avenue, has burned 2,749 acres. It is 85% contained.

No road closures are currently in effect due to the wildfires. Airboat operators, meanwhile, told Local 10 News Monday that water levels are now too low to reach some of the burned areas.

The low water comes after months of wildfire activity across west Miami-Dade and the Everglades.

In April, the Highway 41 fire burned more than 9,000 acres along the Tamiami Trail.

Last week, the Quarry 2 fire grew west of Doral, and the Well fire ignited a day later nearby, burning nearly 3,000 acres.

As of this weekend, crews were still working to contain the Corrections fire in west Miami-Dade.

Back in April, Local 10 was able to ride through some of the areas impacted by the Highway 41 fire.

From the airboat, you could see miles of charred sawgrass and blackened vegetation.

On Monday, operators said some of those areas are too shallow to reach.

Firefighters have repeatedly pointed to dry conditions as a challenge in recent weeks. And those who spend their days in the Everglades say they’re seeing the effects firsthand.

For now, the same dry conditions that helped fuel recent fires are now making some of those areas impossible to reach — a reminder that in the Everglades too much fire often starts with too little water.

WPLG-TV 10 Miami

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The fire incident happened Sunday night, as Hillsborough County Fire Rescue said they began receiving multiple calls reporting a house fire on 12th Street, indicating that a person was trapped inside.

Upon arrival, crews encountered heavy fire coming from the home, HCFR told 10 Tampa Bay News. Within five minutes, firefighters were able to find a man inside the home and were able to safely take him out of the burning house. HCFR added that firefighters had to navigate conditions in which smoke had banked to the floor throughout the residence.

HCFR says that crews were able to bring the fire under control in less than 20 minutes, noting that the man was taken to a trauma center in serious condition roughly 15 minutes after being rescued.

None of the firefighters sustained any injuries and HCFR confirmed that no other occupants were inside.

An investigation is ongoing as HCFR Investigations Unit works to determine what caused the fire.

WTSP-TV CBS 10 St. Petersburg

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So far, more than 2,200 fires have burned—not even halfway through 2026. The yearly average is just 2,400.

Brush fires affect every taxpayer, and being careless costs money. The total budget for the Florida Forest Service is more than $181 million, and another $5 million has been spent so far in 2026 combatting brush fires.

“This fire season has been the busiest in 15 years, approximately,” Kevin MacEwen, with the FFS, said. “(The) number of fires, (the) size of fires has increased our need to be ready.”

The agency is armed with 10 helicopters and nearly 100 bulldozers, but a powerful new tool is now helping firefighters stay ahead of the flames. It’s a drone.

It is capable of targeting certain areas and sees hot spots the naked eye can’t. It can also drop balls — about the size of a paintball — filled with chemicals that ignite fires to be used as flame barriers, stopping bigger fires in their tracks.

WPLG-TV 10 Miami

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MCFR crews were able to extinguish the fire at around 11 p.m. Firefighters asked the public to avoid the area while crews battled the blaze.

No one was hurt or transported. Flames were isolated to the roof, but a good amount of smoke made its way inside to the second floor, according to fire officials.

MCFR said the State Fire Marshal has been notified, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

WPEC-TV CBS 12 West Palm Beach

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MCFR officials say they were called to Ray Wayside Park after reports a of a boat carrying four people was taking on water while attempting to dock at around 9:30 p.m.

MCFR’s Special Operations team launched a rescue boat and was able to save all four people, and they made it back to shore safely.

All four people were evaluated, and there were no injuries to the four people or the firefighters.

Officials say incidents like this serve as an important reminder as boating activity increases during the summer months. They encourage boaters to take simple precautions before heading out on the water to help prevent emergencies.

“To keep up the maintenance on their boat, make sure all safety equipment is up-to-date and checked off, and not to boat under the influence during the holiday season,” said Sam Schulze with MCFR.

WCJB-TV ABC/CW 20 Gainesville

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Wise started his career as a volunteer firefighter at the Northwest Side Volunteer Fire Department before volunteering for the airport fire department. He was hired by the county in 2007.

Wise worked as a battalion chief before being promoted to assistant chief of operations. He served the county through Hurricane Michael.

Wise shared his favorite parts of the job.

“Getting to know the personnel that work with me, and to be able to respond to people in their worst times,” Wise said, “whenever we are called, it’s often times the worst day of somebody’s life, so being able to have that sense of accomplishment in helping them in those times,”

Wise said Bay County is in good hands and that he plans to travel and spend time with his wife.

WJHG-TV NBC 7 Panama City

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As of Tuesday afternoon, the Quarry 2 Fire has scorched about 3,500 acres and was only 20% contained, according to Florida’s Active Wildfire Points map.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials fear the fire could grow to 12,000 acres given its location and the current dry conditions.

“It’s burning pretty good. It’s got a lot of space to burn,” said Kevin MacEwen of the Florida Forest Service. “If we don’t get some rain on it, it’s going to burn for a few days and get much bigger than that.”

The Well Fire has scorched about 450 acres and was only 10% contained.

The Quarry 2 Fire broke out Monday around 3 p.m. just west of Doral, near Northwest 137th Avenue and Northwest 41st Street. Dozens of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and Florida Forest Service responded to the scene to fight the blaze.

CBS Miami

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The grant is part of a federal effort to support rural communities. Congressman Randy Fine made the announcement on Tuesday.

He represents Putnam and part of Marion County.

WCJB-TV ABC/CW 20 Gainesville

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7Skyforce hovered above the scene of the blast at 6100 block of Southwest 87th Avenue, late Monday morning.

Forty Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to reports of an explosion. The call was upgraded to a First Alarm fire to provide additional personnel.

The explosion took place at the gas pumps where maintenance crews and fire department officials come to fill up their service vehicles with fuel.

MDFR said the explosion came from an underground fuel tank. The force from the impact caused a canopy near the pumps to be blown sideways.

“When our units arrived, they did find an overhang that had been partially destroyed [and an] active fire that was coming out from underground,” said MDFR Chief Ray Jadallah.

Fire crews deployed hose lines to conduct a fire attack, successfully extinguishing the flames.

Officials found one person dead and four others injured. Two adults were transported as trauma alerts to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital. Another adult was transported to a local hospital and the fourth patient was assessed on scene and did not require transport.

WSVN-TV FOX 7 Miami

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The fire began Sunday night in the Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge area and spread amid dry conditions that had persisted through the weekend.

Officials said no homes or other structures have been threatened, and no injuries have been reported. However, smoke and ash from the fire have been visible in surrounding communities, including DeLand.

The cause of the fire has been attributed to a lightning strike, according to fire officials.

WOFL-TV FOX 35 Orlando

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