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Families of eight of the nine Charleston firefighters who died in the 2007 Sofa Super Store blaze have reached a partial settlement with several of the companies they claimed were negligent, according to The Post and Courier.

From a pool of some 30 companies, all but about four have agreed to settlements totaling more than $1.2 million, the report said. Larry Richter, an attorney for several of the families, told the newspaper that figure was closer to $1.5 million.

A Jefferson Township firefighter's home was destroyed by flames yesterday afternoon, according to The Elkhart Truth.

A firefighter battling the blaze was transported to Goshen General Hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation, Assistant Chief Jeremy Martin told the newspaper.

No one was in the home at the time of the fire and a small black dog was rescue from the residence.

Facing a shrinking number of options to close a budget gap that could grow to $600 million in the next fiscal year, the Los Angeles City Council is weighing whether to deactivate 10 rescue ambulances at night.

Council members postponed a decision Tuesday amid confusion about how the proposal would affect response times and after listening to the tearful testimony of a man whose father recently died of a heart attack.

Fire Chief Seth A. Knipe said he takes full responsibility for problems that occurred in billing for the Fire Department ambulance service, but believes the problem could have been handled without a police investigation.

"I'm not hiding behind anything," he said. "As chief, the buck stops here.

GREENFIELD, Ohio

--

Thomas Coonrod would have celebrated his 4th birthday Sunday.

Instead, his family is mourning the Highland County boy and his 3-year-old brother, Stephen.

The boys were killed in a fire that started about 12:30 a.m. at their home at 150 A Lafayette St. in Greenfield, according to a spokesman for the Ohio state fire marshal.

Their father, 42-year-old Wesley Coonrod, was taken into custody early Sunday on child endangerment charges and remains jailed at the Highland County Jail.

SPANAWAY, Wash. --

An elderly woman was critically injured in a house fire in Spanaway early Tuesday.

Fire officials said she was unresponsive when firefighters pulled her out of the burning house.

Central Pierce Fire and Rescue told KIRO 7 News that the fire in the 15600 block of Seventh Avenue East was reported just before 3 a.m.

KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reporter Alison Grande said 911 dispatchers received a hang up call from the house at 2:45 a.m.

An alleged gang fight early Sunday led to the arrest of six people, including a man who reportedly did a back flip over a bridge railing and landed in the swift waters of the Wabash River.

Shortly after 1 a.m., Logansport police officers Jason Shideler and Carlos Leal responded to a large fight in the 200 block of Burlington Avenue. While searching for a green van seen leaving the scene of the fight, Leal observed a man walking in a "staggered, unsteady manner" on the east side of the bridge just north of Cliff Drive on Burlington Avenue.

A four-alarm fire sent dozens of residents, many wearing only pajamas and robes, fleeing for safety early Tuesday morning at a south Charlotte apartment complex.

No serious injuries were reported in the blaze, at the Charlotte Woods apartments on Scaleybark Road near Woodlawn Road. However, one person was taken to the hospital for treatment, authorities say.

About 100 people were left homeless, and the American Red Cross is opening a shelter this evening at E.E. Waddell High School for those needing shelter.

Firefighters charged with setting fires, cheating scandals, thefts of fire department funds and equipment, responding to incidents after drinking alcoholic beverages, harassment and discrimination.

With these incidents occurring in fire departments across the nation, it may be time to adopt a code of ethics, according to the Fire Service Reputation Management White Paper released Tuesday morning.