3 New York City Firefighters Die From 9/11-Related Cancers In The Same Day

NEW YORK -- Three retired New York firefighters died within hours of one another earlier this week, succumbing to cancers related to their relief work after the Sept. 11 attack.

Daniel Heg­lund, 58, who had bone cancer; Robert Leaver, 56, who had leukemia; and Lt. Howard Bischoff, 58, who had colon cancer, died on Monday. Leaver and Bischoff grew up in Brooklyn together and considered themselves lifelong best friends, and Heglund was one day shy of his 59th birthday.

Arizona Firefighters Charge Family Nearly $20,000 After Home Burns Down

An Arizona couple recently left homeless when their mobile home burned to the ground couldn't believe their eyes when they received a bill for nearly $20,000 from a private fire department.

"I couldn't believe it," Justin Purcell told The Huffington Post. "We lost our home, we just had a baby and now we're going through this. It's crazy. We don't know how we are going to come up with the money."

Justin and Kasia Purcell's home went up in flames on the night of Aug. 12. The Purcells, who were staying with relatives because they were preparing for the birth of a child, were not home at the time of the fire. A neighbor notified them of the blaze, and they made the 45-minute drive to their home in Surprise, a city in Maricopa County. They arrived just in time to see firefighters extinguish flames from what was left of their house. The home was a total loss, and the cause of the blaze is undetermined.

Firefighters strike over pensions across England and Wales

Firefighters across England and Wales have walked out on strike in a row over pensions, with the threat of further action if the dispute is not resolved.

Members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) left their stations and set up picket lines, leaving brigades to put contingency plans into place.

Some, including London and Surrey, were using private contractors to cover for the strikers, while others were relying on retained firefighters and volunteers. The union has not ruled out further industrial action if the dispute continues.

Firefighters Clash With Riot Police In Spain During Austerity Protest

In an odd turn of events, firefighters were the ones starting the fires at the latest austerity protest in Spain.

Spanish firefighters clashed with riot police in Barcelona Wednesday as they protested against spending cuts in Catalonia, the economically powerful northeastern region of the country.

Hundreds of public employees, sporting yellow helmets and red jackets, gathered in front of Catalonia's parliament building. Some ignited flares, threw smoke bombs and burned makeshift coffins labeled "public services."

Tennessee Firefighters Let Mobile Home Burn Because Couple Didn't Pay Protection Fee

SOUTH FULTON, Tenn. -- A Tennessee couple has lost everything after their home burned to the ground as firefighters watched and did nothing.

Vicky Bell told WPSD-TV that she called 911 when her mobile home in Obion County caught fire. Firefighters responded but did not put out the blaze because she does not subscribe to the local fire service.

Bell says she could "look out my mom's trailer and see the trucks sitting at a distance."

Rural residents who want fire protection can get service from the nearby town of South Fulton, but they must pay a $75-a-year fee. South Fulton Mayor David Crocker said that if the city's firefighters responded to people who didn't pay there would be no incentive for anyone to subscribe. He said firefighters will help when people are in danger, regardless of whether they have paid.

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Source: Huff