News: A fair contest: Strong man opens with two world record breakers

News(1): A fair contest: Strong man opens with two world record breakers involving Water Truck
"Strong man opens with two world's record breakers Related Videos Strong man takes aim at record Strong man John Wooten attempts to break a world record by pulling a truck at the Oklahoma State Fair. What could possibly be a better way to kick off Oklahoma's centennial year state fair than by breaking a world record?

Promoter Jim Morris would answer that with a quick reply — "breaking two world records.”

Strong man John Wooten, 59, of Boston pulls a water truck weighing more than 50,000 pounds during a kickoff event for the Oklahoma State Fair Centennial Expo on Wednesday.

And that's what happened Wednesday. Unfortunately, not many people saw it because the fair was not yet open.

The fair begins today with opening ceremonies at 10 a.m. And in recognition of the state's 100th birthday, for one day and one day only, admission will be $1, as in 100 pennies.

After today, gate admission goes back to $8 for adults and $5 for children six through 11, but fair officials and promoters such as Morris have worked hard to make sure the entertainment and attractions are worth the admission price.

For years, Morris has been the promoter in charge of the ever-popular monster truck show. But a centennial celebration only comes along once in a lifetime, and Morris said he wanted to do something a little different this year.

What he came up with is more of the kind of blue-collar, crowd-pleasing entertainment you'd expect to mesh well with the monster-truck crowd.

"I'm doing the supercross, but then I said, ‘Hey, why don't we do something like that strongman stuff you see on TV?'” he said.

Thus was born Oklahoma's Strongest Man competition,

To promote the strong-man competition, Morris brought in John Wooten, a 59-year-old Boston resident who holds 139 world records in feats of strength.

It took three tries

Wednesday afternoon, Wooten strapped a harness on to his 6-foot-1-inch, 290-pound frame, chained himself to a 50,000-pound water truck, leaned back and began to pull, inching steps backward. His face turned fire-engine red as he yelled out single-syllable kung-fu sounds and began to exhale loudly.

He was going for time and distance.

It took him three tries, but on the last one, he managed to clear what he said were two world records.

The previous records for moving a 50,000-pound truck were 10 feet in 10.5 seconds, and 30 feet in 29.65 seconds.

Wooten made the 10 feet in 10.27 seconds and the 30 feet in 23.65 seconds.

"And that was uphill,” he boasted as he gasped for breath.

Over the years, Wooten said, he's done some crazy strength tests, including on separate occasions, pulling a 757 jet, pulling a cruise ship and back lifting a 7,000-pound elephant.

But during Friday night's strongest man competition at the fair, he's got a show, he said, that's "really crazy — it's gonna be really off the wall. But you have to come out Friday and see it. I'm not talking.”

Man Carjacks City Worker, Steals Truck

Man Carjacks City Worker, Steals Truck - News Story -
KCTV Kansas City: KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Police said a man stole a city water truck worth $200,000 in a carjacking Monday then he slammed it into a tree as police chased him.The carjacking happened Monday afternoon near East 39th and Main streets.
Police pursued the truck to East 43rd Street and Cleveland Avenue, where they said the man wrecked the truck.
He suffered minor injuries, and emergency workers took him away from the scene in an ambulance. Investigators found a large kitchen knife in the van, they said.The city driver was not hurt.The van was equipped with cameras to check underground sewer lines.

FIIIIIIIRE!!!

blog.myspace.com/dirtyairbornsilverado:

FIIIIIIIRE!!!

So i was at work today. i was operating a 4000 gallon water truck. it sprays water onto the ground to control dust. it also has a side jet that can shoot about 70 yards with the wind. so right after lunch today the was a fire on freeway 5 at H street in Chula Vista. so i drove to the edge of the job site to see how close it was. it was right on the other side of the freeway. so i drove over the bridge just as the 1st firetruck got there. i asked the fire chief if he could use my water and he said "we can definatley use you". so the 1st water truck ran out of water. their next dilema was the trolley tracks. the nearest fire hydrant was on the other side of the tracks. they would have to shut down the power to the tracks to run the fire hose across the tracks. they had a CHP stop ALL the traffic going north on freeway 5 so i can turn my water truck around to put out the rest of the fire with my side jet. it was so fuckin cool. i wanna be a fireman!

Truck driver killed in north Qld smash

Truck driver killed in north Qld smash - Breaking News - National - Breaking News: "In another northside accident, a 66-year-old woman is being treated for head and neck injuries after a car and a water truck collided at Aspley. The truck is believed to have struck the driver's side door of the woman's vehicle at the intersection of Zillmere Road and Gympie Road about 6.05am (AEST). The woman was trapped inside her vehicle and needed to be removed by Queensland Fire and Rescue officers. She was transported to the Royal Brisbane Hospital with head and neck injuries. The 63-year-old man driving the truck was treated for shock."

Cocoa and Caffeine Hollywood Travels

Cocoa and Caffeine Hollywood Travels:

An Explosive Weekend ( and a need for protective eyewear)

It’s not every day that you exit the freeway to see a sign flashing:

CAUTION: GUNFIRE AND EXPLOSIONS…

But this is L.A. and the “gunfire and explosions” on an otherwise benign Saturday could be attributed solely to Hancock, a new feature film helmed by Peter Berg and starring Will Smith and Charlize Theron.

Saturday, I worked downtown on another shoot and afterward came by Hancock’s set to witness the huge street stunt they had planned. Amid the high-rises of downtown, Hancock had taken over several streets—a flutter of activity at nearly 1 a.m.

An amazingly, huge crater “iced” with overturned cars had been created in the middle of the street. A water truck continually passed through wetting down the streets as cast, crew, and “looky-loos” waited on the rooftops of adjoining buildings.

With stunts like this, you really only get one shot—so they rehearsed over and over again until BAM! a huge explosion belched cars up into the air and down again as they slammed into each other and skidded every which way. The ensuing black smoke forced me to look away. (Glad I put those sunglasses on as protective eyewear!) When I looked back, a moment later, the street was a mess of debris and thrashed cars. Even to cast and crew and others alike, it was impressive.

San Bernardino County Water woes abating

San Bernardino County:

Water woes abating

Andrew Edwards, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 08/12/2007 12:00:00 AM PDT

LUCERNE VALLEY - The water shortage that followed state authorities' recent move to shut down unlicensed water haulers appears to be getting close to ending, officials said.

"It's stabilizing quite well," Doug Lannon, a battalion chief for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said Friday.

Lannon said he arrived in Lucerne Valley on Wednesday evening. At the time, 16 households had run out of water and an additional 45 households had less than a day's worth of water in storage tanks.

"Obviously, it was a pretty emotional issue for a lot of people up here," he said. "It was a pretty significant incident for the people who didn't have water."

Officials called in two contractors who supplied seven water tenders and a water trailer to haul water around the desert, Lannon said.

He said truckers who could not carry water in their own tankers after the enforcement operation rode along with drivers and helped navigate water supplies to thirsty households.

Lucerne Valley High School football players helped fill tankers with well water, and several other community volunteers helped out during the water shortage.

The shortage occurred while temperatures

The water problem began when the state Department of Public Health teamed up with the California Highway Patrol to search for unlicensed water haulers in response to complaints that truckers were providing water without permits.

Many people in Lucerne Valley store water in tanks and rely on truckers to stay supplied with the precious resource.

Public health official Janet Huston acknowledged early last week that authorities did not anticipate the enforcement operation would prevent many desert dwellers from replenishing their water supplies.

In an effort to relieve the water crisis, public health officials elected to allow unlicensed water carriers whose equipment and water supplies did not pose a health hazard to resume deliveries after they applied for licenses.

"There are a lot more haulers here than certified haulers. The mistake the state made was not to give them a warning," said Chuck Bell, a board member of the Lucerne Valley Economic Development Association.

First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt's Web site features listings of carriers who are allowed to deliver water and wells where drinking water can be obtained. The supervisor's Web site is www.sbcounty.gov/bosd1.

As of Friday, the supervisor's office listed nine water haulers who have applied for licenses and a quintet of carriers who already possess licenses.

David Zook, the supervisor's spokesman, said people without computers will be able to access and print out online information at the Lucerne Valley Branch Library, 33103 Highway 247.

Lannon said water was delivered to 46 residences Thursday and an additional 67 households received water the following day.

72-hr briefing of FR 420 - Water Tender Accident

United States Department of Agriculture / Forest Service Peaks Ranger District

5075 N. Highway 89

Flagstaff, AZ 86004-2852

Phone: (928) 526-0866

Fax: (928) 527-8288

Date: July 13, 2007


72-hr briefing of FR 420 - Water Tender Accident
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE


Preliminary factual findings: At approximately 1615 hours on July 09, 2007, the operator of water tender 5 (WCF Unit 7501) was returning to the Schultz fire after filling with 3000 gallons of water in Cheshire. At approximately 1630, while traveling north on FR 420, the water tender operator moved the water tender to the right side of the road to allow several vehicles to pass. After the vehicles passed, the water tender approached a curve in the road and remained on the right side of the road. As the right wheels traveled on the shoulder of the road, the shoulder gave way. As the right front tire began to slide down a ten foot embankment, the operator was able to get the tire back on the road. The rear tires, which support the load, caused the shoulder to give way even more. The momentum of the water in the tank shifting caused the water tender to slide down the embankment and roll to the right. The water tender came to rest on its cab. The operator and passenger were wearing seatbelts. They were also wearing hardhats and were not injured.


Narrative: Water Tender (WT) 5 WCF 7501, 1992 Ford L9000, license number A258642, with 3000 gallon.


WT-5 was assigned to the Schultz Fire. The operator was returning to the fire for the second time after filling with water from a city hydrant in the Cheshire sub-division and was traveling on FR 420.


FR 420 is a level 3 dirt road which is maintained and had been bladed 3 weeks prior to the accident. At the location of the accident, FR 420 is 15 feet wide of hard surface with a 4 % out slope. As you are facing the direction of travel, there is a cut-bank on the left side of the road and an embankment dropping approximately ten feet on the right.


WT-5 traveled for 51 feet on the shoulder of the far right side of the road before the shoulder gave way. The right front tire began to slide down an embankment but the operator was able to get the tire back on the road. The rear tires, which support the weight of the load, caused the shoulder to give way even more.



The combination of the shoulder giving way and the momentum of the water shifting in the tank caused WT-5 to start sliding down the embankment and roll to the right. WT-5 rolled over and came to rest on its cab at the bottom of a ten-foot embankment in Schultz Creek.


Records indicated appropriate vehicle inspections had occurred prior to the incident.









/s/ Alvin Brown acting for


GENE WALDRIP


District Ranger




cc: Bequi Livingston

Alex Perez

Linda M Murphy

John Booth

Alvin R Brown

Caring for the Land and Serving People Printed on Recycled Paper

Natural Gas Well Water Trucks Can Explode

cbs4denver.com - Natural Gas Well Water Trucks Can Explode:

(CBS4) DENVER They're called "water trucks" and are an important part of Colorado's booming natural gas industry. But the trucks aren't carrying regular water. Instead, the "produced water" can be dangerous and occasionally explode under certain circumstances, according to firefighters.

The trucks carrying the water are everywhere in Garfield, Mesa and Weld Counties. There is no state or federally mandated training for drivers who handle the "produced water." No special gear is required and the water is not regulated as a hazardous material.

The "produced water" contains hydrocarbons like benzene, toluene, and xylene. They're all chemical compounds that come from natural gas wells.

Last February, Dave and Evelyn Connors nearly lost their lives when Dave, a professional driver, used a blow torch to thaw the valve of a company water truck.

"The next thing I remember, I'm laying on the ground, and wondering where all the blood is coming from," said Evelyn Connors.

Drivers said it is a common practice in the industry, but the explosive gases came out of the "produced water" that had been sitting in the partially empty tanker overnight. A spark from the blow torch hit the gases, igniting the explosion.

"We was fragged from the explosion with metal and sand and ice out of the truck, first, second, third degree burns," said Dave Connors.

Fragments of the truck flew about a quarter-mile in the heavily residential neighborhood.

Mike Morgan, the fire chief in Rifle, is aware of "produced water's" potential and thinks there should be more education.

"If we convince ourselves that it's water, or that this stuff won't hurt you, that's when someone's going to get hurt or killed," Morgan said.

Morgan adds that water truck explosions are rare and "produced water" almost never poses a hazard driving down the highway when trucks have a full load. The risk starts to rise when the tanker is partially empty and hydrocarbons come out of the water and turn into combustible gas, he said. It would still take an ignition source like an open flame, spark or static electricity to make it dangerous.

"There's really very minimal risk," said Doug Hock, a spokesman for EnCana, an energy company. "Produced water has dissolved hydrocarbons in it and like any substance of this nature; you have to follow safe practices. If you follow safe practices, accidents can be prevented."

Hock said drivers who transport "produced water" aren't allowed to have open flames on a gas well site.

Firefighters said accidents do happen because of the growth in natural gas development and the surge of inexperienced drivers to meet that demand.

Many water truck explosions happen during the winter when drivers use a blow torch. Some trucking companies are starting to spend the money to add electric valve heaters so blow torches aren't necessary. But there are not federal or state rules that prohibit the use of a blow torch.

Wildfire scorches 5,000 acres near Finley

Mid Columbia News:

Wildfire scorches 5,000 acres near Finley
Flames coursed through about 5,000 acres of dry, yellow cheatgrass and sagebrush south of Finley on Sunday

Published Monday, July 30th, 2007
By Andrew Sirocchi, Herald staff writer

Flames coursed through about 5,000 acres of dry, yellow cheatgrass and sagebrush south of Finley on Sunday, sending columns of dirty gray and black smoke billowing into blue skies.

By early evening with the fire about 30 percent to 40 percent contained, 75 regional firefighters were making a concerted push to hold the blaze south of a command center set up off an unimproved road next to Highway 397.

The blaze, which had burned since about 9 a.m., had not threatened any structures or caused any injuries.

But as the flames moved north, officials worried the blaze was making its way closer to a row of orchards and homes.

"Our objective now is trying to hold it to Ayers Road," said Kennewick Fire Marshal Mark Yaden. "But that's a challenge right now."

Nearly every agency in Benton, Franklin and Walla Walla counties, as well as Hanford, sent firefighters to join the attack in the desert south of the Tri-Cities.

By early evening, with flames only a few hundred yards from the command center and firefighters tiring from a daylong fight, officials said they had made a request to authorize state mobilization and allow crews from agencies outside the region to respond. But it was unclear when a decision would be reached and local firefighters continued to attack the blaze with all the regional resources they could muster.

Two planes - one from Pendleton and a second from Richland, were dispatched to drop fire retardant chemicals over the blaze.

Water, though, was scarce and being used conservatively.

Benton Fire District 1 officials set up a 3,000-gallon mobile water tank and allowed any agency to pick up loads from the command center. A water tender made repeated trips into Finley to keep the mobile tank stocked.

Ultimately, it was the challenges posed by the terrain - and the difficulties of safely reaching the areas that were burning - that ensured firefighters would have to attack the blaze with fire instead of water.

"The conditions, the wind, the terrain, the access - it's all wrapped into one," said Benton County Fire District 1 Capt. Devin Helland of the difficulties that firefighters were facing. "We're trying to flank it and pinch it off."

Officials believe the fire began in the Wallula Gap near the Columbia River. With the blaze spreading, a cause was not immediately being determined but Yaden said firefighters will investigate whether sparks from a passing train ignited the blaze.

"Early on, there was some mention of a train but that's just speculation now," Yaden said.

While the flames spread steadily throughout the day, it was the intensity of the heat as much as the speed of the fire that was creating problems and making the job more difficult than it otherwise would be.

By mid-afternoon, two bulldozers used to clear brush and fuel from the path of the fire were temporarily put out of commission.

Meanwhile, Yaden said firefighters were tiring and the flames already had jumped several roads where officials had hoped they would be able to hold the lines.

Firefighters Matt Demiter and Jill Berry, of Benton County Fire District 4, returned to the command center covered in soot and sweat with a melted side mirror, boiled paint and a damaged plastic fender on their truck.

The two firefighters initially were deployed off Finley Road to attack the blaze by back burning brush and grass. The terrain, though, created too many hazards and made reaching the flames too difficult to trap the blaze in its earliest stages.

"It was too hard to fight," Demiter said. "With the canyons being so steep, it wasn't safe being in there." Both firefighters were dispatched to the desert blaze directly from Kennewick, where they had helped put out a brush fire near 53rd Avenue. It was a small fire, particularly compared to the desert blaze they would see for the rest of the day south of Finley.

But for many firefighters, it was one more job that made attacking the desert fire even more tiring and difficult with little end in sight.

"It's been a pretty calm fire but there's a lot of work left to be done," Yaden said. "There's a lot of fuel left in the stubble.

Local News - TCU - Early Morning Vegetation Fires

MyMotherLode.com:
CAL FIRE NEWS

Tuolumne And Calaveras Early Morning Vegetation Fires

Friday, July 27, 2007 - 06:45 AM

Bill Johnson

MML News Director

San Andreas, CA -- The CAL FIRE Emergency Command Center in San Andreas is reporting two vegetation fires this morning.

The first is under the power lines at Bonds Flat Rd. and J-59. Six engines, a water tender and a dozer have been dispatched. No other details are available at this time.

The second fire is being reported in the area of Hwy 26 and Ponderosa Way and Whiskey Slide Rd. Fire crews are reporting the fire is approximately two-and-a-half acres in size with a slow spread. The fire is reportedly located on a noll.

Written by bill.johnson@mlode.com

Runaway Water Truck Crashes Into Homes - COLORADO

myfox:

Runaway Truck Crashes Into Homes

The accident scene in Thornton. July 26, 2007. BREAKING WATER TRUCK NEWS Related Items: A truck plows into a fence missing a boy playing in the yard but destroying a fence. July 26, 2007. Videos by JOHN ROMERO THORNTON -- A water truck apparently rolled down a hill from a Thornton construction site Thursday, crashing into two homes and narrowly missing an 11-year-old boy. Authorities say the vehicle went across a residential road, and took out a fence before crashing into the homes. The eleven-year-old was standing at the location just moments before the crash. .

CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - Interesting Water Tender Picture

CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS: Inciweb picture : Interesting Water Tender Picture

Interesting Water Tender Picture from Inciweb...Division G Water Tender - Monument Complex
Oregon, Umatilla National Forest
Credit: Robert "Robo" Robustelli photo

Posted by Bob Blogger at 7/25/2007 02:08:00 PM 0 comments Links to this post

Labels: Monument Complex, Oregon, water tender"

Truck Rolls Off Los Gatos Hillside, Killing Driver
Overturned water truck creates river of mud

Los Gatos Observer
By Alastair Dallas 07/22/07 7:49 am
Click here to respondPrint-friendly version

A water truck rolled off a mountain road Saturday morning, killing the driver. Both Los Gatos/Monte Sereno Police and California Highway Patrol responded to the first call, received at 10:42 a.m. The site of the accident, 17541 Santa Cruz Hwy, was on a private road hundreds of feet above Hwy. 17, just south of The Cats restaurant.

The driver was unofficially identified as Ivan Ramirez, aged 26. He was prounced dead by AMR paramedics at 11:06 a.m.
The heavy water truck rolled off the steep dirt road to the right

The truck, a Hertz rental Ford F-750, held 2,000 gallons of non-potable water weighing 16,680 pounds. The truck wsa probably rented from Valew, a construction equipment company in Adelanto, near Palmdale, CA. Apparently, the water shifted on the last turn, rolling the truck off the dirt road onto a freshly-graded ledge some 10 feet below. The truck landed on its roof, sending its water down the hill as a river of mud that hindered access to the site. It is also possible that the driver was attempting to turn around on the dead-end road.

The CHP has jurisdiction over the accident, and used the parking lot at The Cats as a staging area for the medical examiner. Officers and a woman from the coroner's office interviewed five men in jeans and baseball caps as people, likely stunned relatives and friends, continued to arrive. One man clutched a county brochure titled, "What To Do Now."
Contrary to media reports, traffic on Hwy. 17 was not affected by the accident
An unidentified woman from the Coroner's office interviews men outside The Cats restaurant
The truck is a Ford F-750 with a 2,000-gallon tank

water trucks tending street trees

Baltimore Messenger: "Hudson's Corner

Hudson's Corner

07/18/07 Kathy Hudson e-mail hudmud@aol.com Email this story to a friend If the city tends to itself the way it does its trees, we're in trouble Some say the way we care for our houseplants reflects the way we take care of ourselves. Taking that analogy further, I wonder if the way a city takes care of its trees reflects the way a city takes care of itself. If it is, we are not doing a very good job. And when I say "we," I am pointing not only at city government but also at us residential and corporate citizens. Recently, I have lamented the dead saplings on Falls Road by the Poly-Western playing fields. This spring, these evenly spaced, well-staked new plantings seemed emblematic of a renewal of city shade trees and the beautification of two venerable high schools. As I wondered if the city had planted them, or if an enterprising group of environmentally aware students had, those saplings gave me hope. I never discovered the answer, and now many dead saplings seem emblematic of how we do not always care for what is ours. Why would anyone plant a tree and not plan to water it during a dry season? And a dry season is what we have had this year. Dead trees dot the city. When I think of other cities, I have water envy. I envy what I saw in Chicago: water trucks tending street trees and many containers of exquisite ornamental plantings. Then again, Chicago so values its natural resources that it prohibits building right next to the lakefront. You won't find kiosks littering Millennium Park or condos obliterating the view of Lake Michigan. I also envy the water truck my Beechdale Road neighbor reported watering the Boise, Idaho, street plantings early one morning. If Chicago and Boise can do it, why can't we? Granted, we have a huge city and miles of public greenspace. I understand public safety and education might take priority over trees, but after the real estate boom and with high property taxes, why we can't have a few more water trucks and a few more people tending trees and city plantings? Watering these trees could eliminate the waste of time that occurs when saplings throughout the city die each summer. Or could it be that our city is heading in a less "green" direction? The reported comments of city planners at a hearing for the Marianist property on Roland Avenue make me wonder. According to a June 14 Messenger article, city planners "were opposed to the trees and hedges (proposed by the developer) because they want a more urban design in keeping with the neighborhood." Do city planners not know that the greenway through the center of Roland Park and the many Baltimore parks and greenways originally designed by the firm of Frederick Law Olmsted are what have made Roland Park and Baltimore so attractive and livable for generations? Fortunately, the developer and the community are working together to maintain a tree canopy at the Marianist property. But if the developer plants trees, someone must water them. With the current number of dead new trees on grassy medians in front of Roland Park houses, I worry for the future of newly planted trees. Two questions remain: Why plant trees without plans to water them? And is how we care for city trees reflective of how we care for our city?

Marine View Drive reopened after hillside fire | TheNewsTribune.com | Tacoma, WA

Marine View Drive reopened after hillside fire | TheNewsTribune.com | Tacoma, WA: "A hillside brush fire closed the 4800 block of Marine View Drive, near the Cliff House Restaurant, in Tacoma for a short time Friday afternoon. The Tacoma Fire Department received several calls about the blaze, and responded to the scene at about 1:40 p.m. with engines, a fireboat and a water tender, said fire department spokesman Dan Crutty.

The flames were under control by about 3:30 p.m., and the road was reopened. About an acre of brush was involved, Crutty said. There were no injuries or property damage, and the cause of the fire in under investigation. There’s been “discussion about some kids and a campfire that may have gotten away from them, but they don’t know for sure yet,” Crutty said."

Antigua Sun

Antigua Sun:

I read in your Tuesday issue about the large fire on Church Street and your paper mentioned the four tenders that tackled the blaze, also it was mentioned that some tenders had to go for water, I find that hard to believe.

I had mentioned a very long time ago in your paper and the Daily Observer that our Fire Brigade is poorly equipped and does not have enough vehicles.

The vehicles you have now are very good, but what is needed is a water tender that is built on the same make and model that you have now, and its capacity would be well over the 2,500 gallon and should be able to pump into a tender on site. Also there is no aerial ladder tender to handle fires in tall buildings."

Paraffin truck leak in Kent takes nearly a day to clean up

Paraffin truck leak in Kent takes nearly a day to clean up:

A truck leaked 15 to 50 gallons of paraffin, closing a freeway on ramp for nearly a day as road crews failed in one cleanup method after another, state Transportation Department officials said.

The truck driver was alerted by another motorist about 6:35 a.m. Tuesday, stopped on the State Route 167 onramp in this suburb south of Seattle and found a cap was loose, department spokeswoman Meghan N. Soptich said.

Cleanup workers initially tried sanding an 8-foot-wide, 200-foot-long stretch of the ramp that was coated with a quarter-inch of paraffin.

That didn't work, nor did scattering dirt to absorb the wax or applying a degreaser.

Workers began making headway after bringing in a hot-water truck and equipment to vacuum the melted paraffin, but the effort stalled when the truck broke down.

Finally, after a second hot-water truck was summoned, the road was reopened shortly after midnight Wednesday.

UNIFIL tanker truck crashes into car in southern Lebanon, killing four - Haaretz - Israel News

UNIFIL tanker truck Haaretz - Israel News:

UNIFIL tanker truck crashes into car in southern Lebanon, killing four
By News Agencies

Four members of a Lebanese family, including two children, were killed in southern Lebanon on Tuesday when a UN water truck lost control and rammed into their car, police said.

Two Polish soldiers belonging to the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, were slightly injured in the accident on a highway between the villages of Meiss el-Jabal and Houla, near the border with Israel, said a police spokesman on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to speak to reporters.

A third Polish soldier was unharmed.

The spokesman said a father, mother and their 4-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son were killed in the accident.

UNIFIL said in a statement it had begun an internal inquiry to determine the circumstances of the accident.

'UNIFIL Commander Gen. Claudio Graziano is deeply saddened about this tragic loss of life and conveys his sincere sympathies and condolences to the family of the victims,' the statement said.

Poland contributes 200 troops to the 13,000-member UNIFIL. The task of the force, from 30 countries, is to implement a UN Security Council resolution that ended last summer's 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas.

Water Truck delivers water picks up Septic

SitNews - Opinion/Letter: Gravina/Sealaska/Water By Michael Nelson: How fortunate was it that he observed that his water delivery person delivered water to his tank, and then emptied his septic with the same water truck.

Viewpoints Gravina/Sealaska/Water
By Michael Nelson

July 02, 2007
Monday

Greetings from the South Pacific!!

A few days ago, I was standing on a hilltop in Fiji and although it was somewhat warm that day, a cold breeze blew up the hillside and it began lightly raining, and for a moment, I felt like I was back in Southeast Alaska. If nothing else, at least I am back in the Pacific rather than living on the Atlantic seaboard.

I have been reading SitNews daily for news from Southeast Alaska and I have been appreciative of all of the letters people have been writing because SitNews is solidly at the head of the line of allowing readers to be involved in Ketchikan without having to pay a fee to read what the latest headlines are in the First City.

As for the Gravina road issue, I read my friend Jeff Hendrickson's letter and he brings up solid points that I agree with, and I read Laine Chanteloup's letter and it was interesting to read her point of view as somewhat of a newcomer to Alaska. Good writing both of you and solid letters from good people!

As to Sealaska, I agree with Aan Kadax Tseen/Don Hoff. For those Sealaska shareholders who were so anxious to vote for an additional hundred shares of stock for themselves or their family, without working closely with Sealaska to get it right for the Tribal Elders; every time you see one of your Tribal Elders, please personally apologize to them because they are now the true left-outs. It is sad that Sealaska's shareholders have come to this place in history, in which Sealaska's Tribal Elders were symbolically left out in the snow.

Finally, water deliveries. I agree with Amber W-B. Stirring of the tank will cause the water to taste a little brackish, but the water issue reminded me of the days that I lived in Africa. Thankfully, I had a water well with an endless supply of spring water that was tested frequently and had bottled mineral water quality right out of the tap.

However, one of my neighbors in Africa was not as fortunate, as he had to have water deliveries. He was not as lucky as people in Ketchikan are, because one day, one of his children was ill and he had to stay home from work. How fortunate was it that he observed that his water delivery person delivered water to his tank, and then emptied his septic with the same water truck.

Why he never discovered it sooner, and probably his only saving grace that prevented widespread illness to his family was that he had a water distiller running full time at his house. Great things those water distillers, I use one here.

So that is it from Sunny Suva. It is a hot and muggy Sunday afternoon here. All the best.

Michael Nelson
Fiji

Received July 01, 2007 - Published July 02, 2007

About: A former resident of Ketchikan.

EDIS - Red flag warning remains in effect until 6 pm pdt thursday due to gusty winds and low humidities

[EDIS] CAL FIRE NEWS - Red flag warning remains in effect until 6 pm pdt thursday due to gusty winds and low humidities ANTELOPE VALLEY

A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM PDT THURSDAY. GUSTY WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH WITH LOCAL GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE ANTELOPE VALLEY. WINDS GUSTING TO AS MUCH 40 MPH WERE REPORTED SUNDAY EVENING UNDER SIMILAR CONDITIONS. IN ADDITION TO THE STRONG WINDS...THERE WILL BE HOT AND DRY CONDITIONS THROUGH THE PERIOD. TEMPERATURES HAVE CLIMBED TO BETWEEN 100 AND 108 DEGREES TODAY...WITH SIMILAR CONDITIONS EXPECTED EACH DAY THROUGH THURSDAY. IN ADDITION... THERE WILL BE LONG DURATIONS OF LOW HUMIDITIES IN THE TEENS AND SINGLE DIGITS.

Instruction:
A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS... LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY... AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL. PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS OR FIRE CREWS IN THE FIELD OF THIS RED FLAG WARNING.

Area: ANTELOPE VALLEY-

California Fire News

California Fire News: "NEWS - SCU - Livermore grass fire contained

Inside Bay Area - 'Livermore grass fire contained
By Roman Gokhman
Article Launched: 07/02/2007 10:48:36 AM PDT

Eighty acres of grassland were burned Sunday evening on the 7200 block of Collier Canyon Road north of Livermore. No one was hurt and no structures were damaged.

The fire started around 5 p.m. About 70 firefighters from the San Ramon Valley Protection District, Alameda County Fire Department and Cal Fire — 10 engines, a water tender, a helicopter, one air tanker, two bulldozers and two hand crews — responded. It took crews until 6:15 p.m. to have the blaze under control.

San Ramon Battalion Chief John Viera said an investigation has been completed and the cause of the fire was undetermined."

NEWS - LODD - Crews tackle Utah wildfire that killed 3

Crews tackle Utah wildfire that killed 3 - NewsFlash:

The Associated Press

NEOLA, Utah (AP) — A wildfire that has scorched about 46 square miles in northeastern Utah and killed three people has prompted the evacuation of hundreds of people from nearby towns and forced authorities to close a national forest to the public.

The fire started Friday morning north of Neola, about 100 miles east of Salt Lake City, and on Sunday morning crews had it about 5 percent contained. The cause had not been determined.

The fire began spreading into the Ashley National Forest Sunday afternoon, prompting federal authorities to close it to public use.

The small communities of Whiterocks, Farm Creek, Paradise and Tridell were evacuated Saturday. Some residents in Tridell had been allowed to return.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said about 300 people are under a mandatory evacuation. Another 150 homes in Dryfork Canyon, about 8 miles northeast of the fire, could be threatened by Tuesday, said Derek Jensen, a FEMA spokesman.

"We are seeing extreme fire behavior and the potential for growth is still there. We haven't had a change in weather or change in fuel type or dryness," said Louis Haynes, a spokesman for the national forest.

At nearby Vernal, there was little wind Sunday, the temperatures hit 95 degrees and midday humidity was only 10 percent, according to the National Weather Service.

Edson Gardner, of Fort Duchesne, went to Farm Creek to evacuate his mother, whose home was burned to the ground.

"It came down the canyon like a herd of horses," he said Saturday. "The sheriff told us we had five minutes to get out."

Uintah County Sheriff Jeff Merrell said buildings had been destroyed but he didn't have a count.

water PARTY ho. | Hip Mama

water PARTY ho. | Hip Mama:

Thought I would post this pic from a kids party today. Not only did they have a waterslide, but a frend of the dad's came with a giant water truck. The kid went nuts. Of course with kids...just add water.

California Fire News: News - Tahoe blaze burns moments into memories - sacbee.com

CAL FIRE News - Tahoe blaze

News - Tahoe blaze burns moments into memories - sacbee.com:

Tahoe blaze burns moments into memories

Portraits from the fire

By Chris Bowman - Bee Staff Writer

Last Updated 12:20 am PDT Sunday, July 1, 2007

PAT HENNESSY: For the first time in 30 years, the retired firefighter is seeing destroyed homes, especially his own, in a new way. "It's just full of skeletons of childhood memories," he said. Sacramento Bee/Hector Amezcua

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE -- The sudden losses suffered by hundreds amid the splendor of this alpine resort area are by now known the world over.

What's left behind?

The spirit to rebuild, the will to protect the famously clear lake, the determination to reduce the risk of another catastrophic forest fire.

And the moments frozen in time by journalists from all points to chronicle the Angora fire.

In other words, photographs.

The Bee revisited some of these moments to sketch out the stories and complete the portraits of individuals caught by the camera.

PAT HENNESSY

'We've still got the view'

Pat Hennessy, 54, is a retired firefighter who drafted himself back into the ranks to battle the Angora blaze -- after seeing his own house burn to the foundation.

No sooner did his home of 20 years vanish than he hopped on his water-tender truck and got himself assigned to fire crews.

On Saturday, he returned to his home site off Lake Tahoe Boulevard to search for anything left intact. There was more at stake than just his own family's belongings. His garage had served as a storehouse for many generations of Hennessys, dating back to their arrival from Germany during the California Gold Rush.

His '49er ancestors owned butcher shops in Downieville and Sierra City. They used the income to run the family-owned stamp mill, the Kentucky Mine, now a historic Nevada County park.

"I've seen the aftermath of many house fires," Hennessy said Saturday as he surveyed his own ashen heap. "They're really no longer homes -- they are just rubble."

Now, of course, he's developed a different perspective.

"It's just full of skeletons of childhood memories," Hennessy said as he pointed out a toddler-sized 1950s pedal tractor. He found a heap of twisted, tiny railroad track that went with the 1930s Lionel train set handed down from his father.

What remains of those homes? The outline of very personal property.

"This was the first time in 30 years of firefighting that I don't like the media trampling on ruins. Before, I never thought about it. It was just rubble.

"You start recognizing things, and then you start thinking, hey, maybe I'll find something. I found myself walking around saying, did this make it? Did that make it?"

On Friday, an insurance adjuster had stepped into the garage area to document damage, Hennessy recalled. "I said, 'Hey, you're trampling all over my Life magazine collection.' Not everybody has every issue of Life magazine -- and I mean every issue from 1936 to 1975."

Hennessy continues to talk about his house and things in the present because his family has no doubt about rebuilding.

With arms akimbo, Hennessy stood in what had been his living room and looked out at what had been his picture- window view of a forest service meadow.

"We've still got the view," he said. "It just has a little charcoal."

One Dead As Water Truck Crashes Near Bradbe - News Story - WLKY Louisville

One Dead As Water Truck Crashes Near Bradbe - News Story - WLKY Louisville:

"LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Louisville Metro Police were called to the scene of a fatal accident Tuesday around 11:30 a.m. near Routt Road, around Bradbe.

Officials said a 70-year-old died when the truck fell off the road. His name had not been released as of 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Dispatchers said it was a single-vehicle accident involving a water truck. It is not yet known what company owned the water truck."