A hit-and-run driver in Wilmington, North Carolina, crashed into a veterinary clinic causing a gas explosion that injured three firefighters. The driver, Jason Lee Beach, was charged with multiple offenses including DWI with serious injury, and fled the scene before being apprehended. The explosion occurred while firefighters were searching the building, which was empty at the time, and resulted in injuries but no civilian casualties.
A fireworks warehouse explosion in Yolo County, California, resulted in a fire, mandatory evacuations, and seven people unaccounted for, with two injured and ongoing rescue efforts.
James Muller, a 25-year-old firefighter with the Irmo Fire District, died in the line of duty after being trapped inside a Columbia apartment that collapsed during a fire. Six other firefighters were injured and taken to the hospital. Two residents were rescued and taken to the hospital, while 19 people were displaced. Muller recently graduated from the Officer Academy in March and was described as a caring husband, father, and fireman. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
