Firefighter dies in blaze on movie set
NEW YORK -- A New York City firefighter died early Friday battling a blaze on a movie set in a former jazz club after getting separated from his fellow firefighters in thick smoke.
The fire started in the cellar as the crew of Motherless Brooklyn, directed by Edward Norton, was nearing the end of its working day at 11 p.m. Thursday. Flames poured out the windows as firefighters stormed into the five-story Harlem building, dumping water on the blaze to get it under control.
Firefighter Michael R. Davidson of Engine Co. 69 was assigned to the nozzle on the lead hose-line and pushed into the burning basement.
When firefighters had to back out, the 15-year Fire Department veteran was separated from his colleagues. He was found unconscious after suffering severe smoke inhalation, Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said. Davidson was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Davidson, a second-generation firefighter, had been cited four times for bravery during 15 years on the job.
The cause of the five-alarm fire was under investigation.
Piano factory collapse kills 2 firemen
YORK, Pa. -- A section of a burned-out former piano factory in Pennsylvania collapsed Thursday, killing two firefighters and injuring two others who were looking for hot spots and investigating the cause of the blaze.
Firefighters Ivan Flanscha and Zachary Anthony died at a hospital, York Mayor Michael Helfrich said in a statement Thursday, calling it a "tragic day in York's history."
The two other firefighters injured in the collapse, Assistant Chief Greg Altland and firefighter Erik Swanson, were in stable condition, the mayor said.
The four firefighters were looking for hot spots and the cause of a fire that broke out Wednesday when a large section of the former Weaver Organ and Piano factory building's wall collapsed on them, York officials said. The structure was being converted into residential units.
Flanscha was named the York City Firefighter of the Year in 2004, and was a 20-year veteran of the department. Anthony had been with the department since 2010.
The two firefighters are the 12th and 13th city firefighters killed in the line of duty in the department's history.
Cyberattack hobbles Atlanta's server
ATLANTA -- A day after a ransomware cyberattack hobbled the city of Atlanta's computer network, city officials said Friday they were working around the clock to get things up and running again.
The city's information security team noticed that something was amiss with the city's server about 5:40 a.m. Thursday and began an investigation.
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms on Friday asked people to be patient as the city works with federal agencies, including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, as well as private sector partners, to fix the problem, Bottoms said.
The attack caused failures of numerous city applications, officials said. But it did not affect police and fire emergency response systems, water supply safety or Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, they said.
Bottoms said there is no evidence that any personal information has been compromised, but she urged city employees, residents and others whose data may be in the city's system to take steps to monitor and protect personal data.
Craigslist closes personal ads in U.S.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Americans looking for love or companionship on Craigslist won't be able to make a connection after the classified ads site took its personals section offline in the United States on Friday.
The action comes after the U.S. Senate on Wednesday passed an anti-sex trafficking bill that, if it becomes law, could hold the website and others responsible for illegal activities. The company says the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act seeks to subject websites to criminal and civil liability.
A message on the site says any tool or service can be misused and the company hopes it can bring them back "some day." Craigslist closed by saying: "To the millions of spouses, partners, and couples who met through Craigslist, we wish you every happiness!"
A message seeking comment from Craigslist was not immediately returned.
Craigslist's personal ads have been around since 1995.
A Section on 03/24/2018