A man and a woman are confirmed dead after a firetruck crashed into a building in Kansas City's Westport neighborhood, and a third unidentified woman has also been found dead.

The incident happened around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday.

A Kansas City Fire Department firetruck was heading to a fire call, with lights and sirens on, when it hit an SUV.

The firetruck then crashed into a building. Firefighters said two people who died, a man and a woman, were in the SUV.

Firefighters spent late Wednesday night searching for someone in the rubble of the building. No firefighters were seriously hurt in the crash.

"They went back to the station, I sent them home for the evening. Just because they were shook up as well," Fire Chief Donna Lake said.

Authorities were told by a witness that a third person was walking on the sidewalk in front of the building at the time of the crash and collapse.

The building is the former home of a bar and concert venue that closed two months ago.

"That could have been really bad because 10:30 is pretty busy at a bar at least," Neighboring store owner Roman Khachaturyan said.

Christmas is right around the corner, and if you're bringing a tree into your home, there are some fire safety tips that you should know. Along with holiday celebrations come holiday decorations, but those decorations can be dangerous in the home.

"There's not a single firehouse where we don't hear the stories of the Christmas fire, the holiday season fires," said Mark McConnell, a fire marshal in New Mexico.

Christmas trees are the main danger during the winter months. McConnell said the tree we choose for our home is vital.

"We're bringing these trees into the homes. They're beautiful and they're great, but they dry out, and we have a lot of electrical around them," McConnell said.

That's the difference: a dry tree and a watered tree.

"If that dry tree catches, there's a chance that it'll go out of control to a point where there'll be horrible damage by the time we get there," McConnell said.

So how can we be sure to pick the right tree? McConnell said when you buy the tree, you want to make sure that the pines don't just fall apart as you touch it.

He also said that when you leave the house for holiday travel, unplug the electrical hazards next to it. Make sure that your tree is 3 feet away from any type of heating source.

What if you're not bringing in a tree for the holidays? McConnell said we still have to be careful making those sweet holiday desserts.

"A lot of our fires are gonna be when the oven is really dirty inside, hasn't been cleaned for years," McConnell said. "And some of that particulate that's been left in there is gonna catch fire."

Watch the full story in the video above.

Man meets crew who saved him from cardiac arrest

Updated: 9:14 PM EST Nov 20, 2021

Jean Theard is miraculously still around despite being in full cardiac arrest a few months ago."Last thing I remember is coming out of the bathroom after chewing a few aspirins because I couldn't find my nitro. Came out of the bathroom, that was it, light's out," Theard said.Theard was happy to be surrounded by lifesavers at the Seminole County, Florida, fire station closest to his home.Seminole County’s Deputy Chief Matt Kinley was ready to give out some lifesaving awards.“We've got someone walking around that might not have been,” Kinley said.It was July and Theard's heart had stopped. His girlfriend got CPR coaching from 911 as rescuers rolled."Anything that could have gone right, went right,” Lt. Stephen Armstrong said.Station 26 got there in under five minutes and brought him back. But they needed to get his stopped heart going again on the way to the hospital."They get them to us. If they didn't get them to us, we couldn't do the magic that we do,” Linda Hardison of Orlando Health said.When Theard heard awards were being delivered to the crew which saved him, he said he had to be there in person."My girlfriend called, they responded and here I am,” Theard said.Certainly, as Theard slides into this year's Thanksgiving table, in the back of his mind, he'll be thinking about the importance of one of those fire rescue crews.“ is going to taste real good this year. I have a birthday coming up on Monday too,” Theard said.Plenty of reasons to celebrate."If it wasn't for them, like you say, Thanksgiving would be pretty dull without me around,” Theard said.Theard said he never misses a chance to thank a first responder.

CINCINNATI — A school in Hyde Park was evacuated Thursday morning after a gas main had been struck, causing gas to leak, according to officials.

The Cincinnati Fire Department said the Springer School was evacuated after a truck backed into and struck a nearby gas main around 8 a.m. Thursday. Once the truck hit the main, firefighters evacuated the students and staff of the school, as well as people in a nearby apartment complex.

Firefighters were able to shut the gas line off, and officials called Duke Energy (Gas) to the scene to test the air quality to make sure it was safe.

Officials said the people who were evacuated would be able to return to the school or their homes before noon.

RIPLEY, Ohio — Authorities are offering up to $5,000 for information about an arson at the Ripley Flea Market building earlier this week.

Ripley firefighters were dispatched to 623 S. 2nd Street Monday evening for a fire at a large commercial building housing the Ripley Flea Market. Firefighters found the wooden steps on the back of the building on fire, which officials believe was set intentionally.

The investigation is being conducted by the Ohio State Fire Marshal’s office and the Ripley Fire Department.

A reward of up to $5,000 is being offered by the Blue Ribbon Arson Committee for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for this fire.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Ohio State Fire Marshal’s tip line at 800-589-2728.