Lt. Jeffrey Kasaras retired on July 10 after more than 25 years with the department, including more than 20 years as a lieutenant, according to a Thursday announcement from the Marlborough Fire Department. The department said Kasaras was its longest-serving company officer.

Firefighter Shawn Butland retired on July 20 after more than 25 years of service to Marlborough.

“We congratulate both members and wish them and their families a long and happy retirement,” the department said.

Marlborough Patch

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Fire Chief Robert Strahan announced that Whitney died following what he described as a courageous fight with cancer related to his service as a firefighter. Whitney joined the Greenfield Fire Department as a full-time firefighter in February 2001. He was promoted to captain in September 2011.

Whitney served the department for 25 years before retiring in May 2026 after being diagnosed with occupational cancer.

In a statement, Chief Strahan called Whitney a respected officer, mentor, colleague and friend whose leadership, experience and dedication left a lasting impact on the department and the firefighters who served alongside him.

WWLP-TV NBC/CW+ 22 Springfield

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The Quincy Fire Department replaced all of its turnout gear after the union said cancer-causing chemicals were found in their old equipment.

Most firefighters use their turnout or protective gear throughout their entire shift, especially on active calls.

“You have your outer shell, and then you have thermal liners and moisture barriers for protection of our firefighters,” explained Quincy Fire Chief Gary Smyth.

The department discovered its old gear contained high levels of PFAS.

“PFAS is called a forever chemical because it doesn’t degrade,” said Smyth. “So if it gets into your system, it stays, and it starts doing all sorts of damage that causes health risks, including many types of cancer.”

Firefighters’ unions have been leading the charge to fit all firefighters with PFAS-free gear.

WBTS-CD NBC 10 Boston

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“You can’t effectively do anything at a fire with a single person,” said Sarah Forsaith, president of the Amherst Firefighters Local 1764.

But the occasional challenge of having a solitary firefighter on board an engine should soon go away. The town is adding four firefighters and eventually increasing the minimum staffing to 10 full-time firefighter-paramedics year-round, upping this from the current seven minimum during the summer and eight minimum during the academic year. This will mean that at least four full-time personnel are on board an engine every time one goes out.

The first change in minimum staffing in decades will mean meeting an appropriate standard, allowing three ambulances, each with two firefighter-paramedics on board, to be out at the same time that a fully staffed engine is available, said Fire Chief Lindsay Stromgren.

Daily Hampshire Gazette

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“Massachusetts firefighters are on the frontlines protecting their communities every day, and today’s graduates are needed now more than ever,” said State Fire Marshal Davine. “The hundreds of hours of foundational training they’ve received will provide them with the physical, mental, and technical skills to perform their jobs effectively and safely.”

“Massachusetts Firefighting Academy instructors draw on decades of experience in the fire service to train new recruits,” said MFA Recruit Program Coordinator Dean Babineau. “Through consistent classroom instruction and practical exercises, today’s graduates have developed the tools they’ll need to work seamlessly with veteran firefighters in their home departments and in neighboring communities as mutual aid.”

CapeCod.com

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According to the Boston Fire Department, 40 people were forced from their apartments after a two-alarm fire at 860 Harrison Avenue around 5:45 p.m. Two people were taken to the hospital with minor smoke-related injuries.

Investigators said the fire was caused by an e-scooter battery, which activated the building’s sprinkler system. Crews had to haul lines up and through the building to reach the fire.

Boston fire Chief Brian Tully said the scooter was placed in a bathtub once the flames were extinguished to ensure it didn’t reignite. He said dealing with lithium battery fires can be challenging.

“It’s new technology. We’re still learning about their capabilities and how they react under fire conditions, and what we know so far is they’re very dangerous when they do catch fire,” Tully said. “It creates a chain reaction, and they’re hard to extinguish. It takes a lot of time and water and effort.”

Hazmat crews assisted firefighters with removing the burnt scooter from the building. They utilized barrels to contain the battery.

WCVB-TV ABC 5 Boston

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The Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts released a statement hailing Roy as a proponent of early cancer screenings. Roy regularly traveled to fire departments around the state to advocate for screenings.

Roy came from a family of firefighters. His grandfather and father served with the Fitchburg Fire Department, as did his uncle, brother and cousin.

“Since the day he was sworn in, PJ has placed the safety and well-being of our residents above all else,” the Fitchburg Fire Department said in a statement. “The passing of PJ will leave a large void in our Department and our Community.”

U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, D-3rd District, commended Roy for his work with the fire department and for spreading awareness.

“Patrick J. Roy was a hero,” Trahan said in a statement. “A third-generation firefighter, PJ served the Fitchburg community for 20 years and was a passionate advocate for occupational cancer awareness.”

Roy’s funeral will be held 11 a.m. Wednesday at Our Lady of the Lake Church in Leominster.

The Republican – MassLive (metered site)

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Mansfield is the third fire department in Massachusetts to have one, and the first in Bristol County.

“When it comes to trauma patients the number one thing you can give at point of injury is blood,” Mansfield Fire Department Deputy Chief Gary Reagan said.

When time is of the essence, getting a blood transfusion can save a life. “[The truck] will literally take patients from being completely pulseless and on death’s door, to awake and talking in the back of the ambulance,” Reagan said.

The Blood Truck, also known as a Blood Transfusion Unit, began its operations on July 8. “It’s a whole blood transfusion unit that goes out in response to traumatic, traumatic incidents to bring lifesaving blood to the patient,” Mansfield Fire Department Captain Eric Dufort said.

Dufort said the blood truck meets up with an ambulance on scene, supplying blood and other transfusion equipment. The blood transfusion is given while enroute to the hospital, to keep the patient alive for surgery.

WJAR-TV NBC 10 Providence

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State police said in an email at 8:18 a.m. that they ere responding to reports of a plane crash involving a small, fixed-wing aircraft that was reported in the Curlew Pond area of the Myles Standish State Forest. They said information on possible passengers or injuries was immediately available.

Plymouth fire and police officials said in an update around 9:15 a.m. that the pilot was recovered from the water with assistance from the Plymouth Dive Team and is being taken to an area hospital for treatment of serious injuries. They said the aircraft was a two-seater, and they are unclear at this point if anyone else might have been on board.

Aerial and ground images from the scene showed the plane upside down in the pond. Dive boats could be seen making their way to the aircraft.

The Kingston Fire Department also said in a Facebook post shortly before 8 a.m. that their dive team was being activated for an airplane crash in Plymouth.

WBTS-CD NBC 10 Boston

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And while cardiovascular events from stress can definitely be a killer, that is not the leading cause, either.

Rather, cancer is the biggest risk for firefighters, and by a staggering margin. According to the International Association of Fire Fighters nearly 80% of member line-of-duty deaths in 2025 were due to occupational cancer.

“Cancer is a pandemic sweeping through the fire service,” said award-winning Worcester-born filmmaker, writer and actor Tommy Jay Dwyer, who comes from a well-known local family of firefighters. “A lot of it is preventable,” he noted. Preventable in the fire service’s own house — namely, its firehouses.

Dwyer, who now lives in Paxton, hopes to bring the hidden challenges facing today’s firefighters to light as the director of the documentary “Burnin’ Down the House,” which has its world premiere on Aug. 6 at The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester.

Worcester Magazine – Metered Site

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Around 3:52 p.m., the Burlington Fire Department responded to Mountain Road, where crews found a home and a vehicle in the driveway with fire showing.

Firefighters deployed three hose lines and quickly knocked down the flames on the exterior of the home and the car. Crews then brought two hose lines inside the home and launched an aggressive interior attack.

All residents were able to evacuate safely on their own. The Burlington Fire Department said the combination of high heat, humidity, and extensive overhaul operations created challenging conditions for firefighters.

Two firefighters were taken to a local hospital with heat exhaustion and were later released. The home suffered significant fire and water damage, and eight residents have been displaced. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

WFXT-TV FOX 25 Boston

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