Although no one was made redundant involuntarily, in 2006 the fire-brigade union called a strike.

ECONOMIST: A Liverpool fireman demonstrates how it can be done

The new state law, passed in 1995 over the objections of almost every Democratic state legislator, came with an 18-month no-strike clause and made it easier to fire bad or burned-out teachers.

FORBES: Chain Saw Paul

But Bale won a free kick on the edge of the box and Ramsey stepped forward to fire in a curling, right-footed strike.

BBC: Liechtenstein 0-2 Wales

Fire crews in Essex have begun a 24-hour strike as talks aimed at halting the action continued.

BBC: Essex fire service strike talks continue

Yoshito Okubo was guilty of a bad miss early on before Tamada showed his strike partner the way, sliding in to fire home a right-wing cross from Makoto Hasebe in the 21st minute.

BBC: Ivory Coast suffer Japan defeat

More than 750 firefighters and support personnel were working in Oregon and Nevada to corral the 418, 235-acre Holloway Fire, the largest of the Western wildfires ignited by a lightning strike on August 5.

CNN: Heartbreaking losses as Western wildfires rage