July 27, 2011, Sacramento Ca.- Investigators from the Galt Police Department, Cosumnes Fire Department, and the Sacramento Metro Fire District worked together to tie 24-year-old Adam Kelly to three arson fires in Sacramento County over a two-week period. The first fire occurred in Galt on July 6, 2011 at 10430 Twin Cities Rd. Firefighters responded to the service area of the Raley's supermarket and found numerous large pieces of recycled cardboard piled up and set on fire. Firefighters extinguished the fire with no injuries and minor damage to the building. The second fire was July 13, 2011 at the 750 block of Moose Creek Way in Galt. Firefighters responded to the report of a fire agains

Sacramento Ca- Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, Metro's Firefighter Association and UC Davis Children’s Hospital have partnered with Pillow Pets for Life Foundation, a non-profit organization whose aim is to bring comfort to hospitalized children. They have come together with the common goal of collecting at least 1000 donated pillow pets, an actual snugly pillow shaped like an animal character, to distribute to children undergoing medical treatment at UC Davis Children’s Hospital. Sacramento Metro Fire is partnering with the foundation which is using Sac Metro Fire facilities as drop off locations for the Pillow Pets. Once the goal of 1000 is met, Firefighters from the Sacramento Me

Sacramento, CA- The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District (SMFD) is promoting literacy this summer through its partnership with Reading Tree. The objective is to put books in the hands of local children to promote literacy, and to support recycling and reuse of unwanted books.  SMFD Fire Chief Henke encourages the community to drop off their gently used books at the Reading Tree book donation containers located at SMFD stations starting June 17, 2011. SMFD will be hosting the Reading Tree bins through November 18, 2011.  Reading Tree and SMFD have partnered on this book collection effort to develop in-classroom lending libraries in Reading Partner Sacramento schools in the Sacramento reg

Citrus Heights, CA- June 12, 2011 at 6:18pm, Sacramento Metro firefighters responded to the 6000 block of Oak Creek Way to the report of a four-year old male child that had been pulled from a pool and was not breathing. At 6:21pm firefighter/ paramedics arrived on scene to the backyard of a residential home where they found two people performing CPR on the small child. 9-1-1 dispatchers had been able to give CPR instructions to an adult on scene. Firefighter/Paramedics immediately started advanced life support measures and transported the child to Mercy San Juan Hospital. The child did not survive. With the change in weather conditions, more children are going to be in and around the wate

Sacramento Ca.- 4:21pm, Sacramento Metro Fire water rescue teams were dispatched to the report of two people, a 38-year old female and a 10-year old male, stranded in shallow water on the high-flowing American River. Fire crews quickly responded to the area and found the two standing in shallow, swift-moving water. They were assisted into the rescue boat and returned uninjured to shore. The pair said they were part of a three-raft flotilla, all tied together, when the raft's tie rope became entangled in a bridge abutment and they had to cut free. Once freed, the raft soon became caught in tree branches downriver, which they clung to fighting the strong current. They abandoned their boat an

River conditions this Memorial Day weekend are more dangerous than usual, and Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District officials are urging people to be aware of those dangers and where to borrow free life jackets. “Based on the heavy winter and the high volume of snow, the runoff is a little bit colder than usual,” said Assistant Chief Scott Cockrum, adding that the water is about 53 degrees in the American River – 6 to 8 degrees colder than normal. Also, the river is flowing about twice as fast as previous years. Cockrum added that everyone in a boat or raft should have a life jacket available, and he recommended wearing it at all times. “Kids under 13, by county ordinance, are required

Sacramento Metro Fire Investigators have concluded that the double fatality fire that occurred at 4061 Stephens Dr. on April 6, 2011 resulting in the deaths of Laura Fernandez, age 38, and her son Wilfred Villarruel, age eight, was an act of Arson. Metro Fire Investigators are working with Sacramento County Sheriff’s investigators and are asking the public for assistance. April 6, 2011 at 8:03pm, the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District received an alarm for a house fire at 4061 Stephen Drive in North Highlands. The first Engine Company arrived and reported a well involved garage fire with extension into the home. Fire crews made entry into the home and began attacking the fire. During

The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District is accepting applications to fill a vacant position of Director for Division 5 on its nine-member Board of Directors. The selected applicant will serve the remainder of a four-year term expiring the first week of December, 2012. Applicants must be a registered voter, residing within the jurisdictional boundaries of the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District. While all interested applicants within the District will be considered, preference will be given to applicants from Division 5. The approximate boundaries for Division 5 are Madison Avenue on the north, Manzanita Avenue and Fair Oaks Boulevard to Arden Way on the west, the American River on th

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Kurt P. Henke to the position of Fire Chief, replacing William B. Sponable after his April 1, 2011 retirement. Chief Henke was hired as the Deputy Chief of Operations for Metro Fire on October 1, 2009. His professional career began in 1984 as a Firefighter/EMT with the Department of the Navy, Skaggs Island Fire Department. Chief Henke moved on in 1985 to become a full-time Firefighter with the City of Vallejo Fire Department. From there he promoted to Captain in 1992, where he was assigned to the Training and Suppression divisions and was appointed as the Director of Training in 1996. Chie

 Sacramento, CA- At 11:27 pm, Tuesday night, Metro Fire received multiple calls for an apartment fire at 2420 Arden Way, #52. After speaking with Christian Peebles (Metro Fire PIO) this morning , we learned that when fire units arrived, they found the bottom floor of the unit fully involved. The fire was contained to that unit, however 3 other units were smoke damaged, per Peebles. Metro Fire arrived in 5 min and quickly knocked the fire down in 10 minutes with 18 firefighters, saving the rest of the apartment complex. Per Peebles, there was one fatality. The badly burned body was found on the initial search of the unit and was burned burned bad enough that they were not able to identif

Sacramento, CA- A multi-agency rescue team worked together to extricate and transport the horse to UC Davis Veterinary Clinic. According to California Highway Patrol, while traveling south bound on Interstate 5, just south of the Sacramento Metropolitan Airport, early Sunday morning the driver of a truck with horse trailer in tow, crashed into the back of a car and overturned the horse trailer. The trailer became disconnected from the truck and while leaving the horse trapped in the trailer, the driver drove away and fled the scene. Rescuers from Metro Fire, CHP, Animal Care and Regulation, tow operators and a veterinarian spent three hours extricating the horse and loading it into anot

VEHICLE vs UTILITY POLE: Around 6:30pm a vehicle slammed into a utility pole on 47th Ave. near Wire. The older model vehicle sustained major front end damage, the utility pole split and collapsed and the driver sustained only minor cuts on the forehead. Power in the area was out for several hours. PARTY STABBING: Around 12:30am a female victim way stabbed at a party in the area of 4th Ave and 65th St. The victim was transported by ambulance to a local hospital with what appeared to be a minor stab wound to the upper body. PALLADAY FIRE: Around 4:00am a large grass fire occurred off Palladay Rd and Base Line Rd in Placer County. Units were called from CDF, Placer County Fire, Sutter Count

Sacramento, CA by Ed Fogle   It was a bittersweet day for homeowners in the 6900 block Silverthorne Circle today. While their home was saved, they lost their furry friend.   Kirk Davies, photographer for MaverickPhotography.us and neighbor to the family, stated "it smelled like something barbequing when I walked outside, then I saw smoke pouring from my neighbors house and called 911" Tuesday afternoon, about 4:30 P.M., it is believed (but still under investigation) that a fire started in the dishwasher. Battalion Chief, Richard Anderson stated that the fire was contained to the kitchen area of the home. "A repair man from Sears was supposed to be at the home working on the dishwasher

Sacramento, CA- Four males and three females, one shooter, were somehow all involved in a shooting behind Sunrise Mall during festivities Saturday evening. Shortly before fireworks were launched at the Sunrise Mall Fourth of July celebration, two people were shot at the Sunrise Vista Apartments, located behind the mall. One victim was not expected to survive and the other was in serious condition that night. One male was detained and brought back to the seen for a "field show-up". This is where bright lights are put on the subject for two reasons: one so the witnesses can clearly see the suspect to identify him, and secondly so the suspect can't see the witnesses. It is unknown at this t

Things may or may not have got heated in family court today, but it definantly got hot outside the courthouse. A small brush fire ignited in the field adjacent to the Family Courthouse around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon on the corner of Power Inn Rd and Cucamonga Ave. While the fire was relatively small, Sac Fire called for a second alarm due to winds picking up and driving the fire across the field in the direction of the courthouse, per Capt Doucette of the Sacramento City Fire Department. Metro fire units from battalion 9 responded to assist in the second alarm. The fire was contained quickly and a little over an acre was involved. There were no injuries and no structures involved.

  Sacramento Metro Firefighters extinguished an early morning blaze before it reached several threatened homes.   Shortly after 12:00 a.m. Thursday morning, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department was called to a grass fire to rear of 3600 Glencrest Lane. When firefighters arrived, and were able to access the fire ground, it appeared that there were actually three fires. Several additional grass and structure engines were dispatched to protect the homes. When asked if this was indeed three separate fires and was this possibly arson, on scene arson investigators stated that it was under investigation. Battalion Chief, Frank Moreno (Bat 15), stressed that it is very important that reside