Rantoul firefighters are trying to figure out what sparked a blaze that caused $1 million in damage to a downtown Rantoul building Wednesday evening. Rantoul Fire Chief Ken Waters said firefighters from four departments turned out for the fire at 109 S. Tanner St. A state fire marshal investigator with a canine was there Thursday morning but declined to say if he had determined what caused the fire that was reported at 8:13 p.m. The building is owned by Marion Valentine. Most of the structural damage was confined to its south end, which was used in part for storage, including a 1976 Corvette. Waters said the area also included woodworking equipment and a forklift. The north end of the building houses TT Fasteners and Tool Sales. Because of the architecture, firefighters fought the blaze from outside of the building only.  

The morning sky was the color of lead, the air was barely above freezing and the only sound was the crunch of dead leaves as Ryan Mains began a 10-mile run through Crystal Lake's Veteran Acres Park. He has come here for years to build his stamina on the park's steep hills, preparing for races that stretch well beyond a marathon. But he also treasures the stillness. When he runs, observed by a few placid deer and the occasional owl, the memories that trouble him vanish like mist. They always come back, though. He can never run far enough to escape them completely. Mains, 39, is a veteran of the Iraq war and a longtime Woodstock firefighter and paramedic who has been diagnosed with a severe case of post-traumatic stress disorder. The symptoms built slowly over years, ultimately becoming so pronounced that a few months ago Mains had to leave the job that he loved.  

A suspect has been arrested after a mobile home fire in Springfield that sent one person to the hospital. Springfield Fire Chief Allen Reyne said crews responded at 10:30 p.m. Thursday to the Park Ridge Mobile Home Community. Units arrived and found a fire in the interior of a mobile home. They had the fire under control about five minutes after their arrival. Chief Reyne told WAND-TV that one person was arrested and the fire is no longer under investigation. He said the fire was intentionally set. Two occupants were displaced and a female victim, who responders first treated at the scene, went by ambulance to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The mobile home took heavy damage.  

The morning sky was the color of lead, the air was barely above freezing and the only sound was the crunch of dead leaves as Ryan Mains began a 10-mile run through Crystal Lake's Veteran Acres Park. He has come here for years to build his stamina on the park's steep hills, preparing for races that stretch well beyond a marathon. But he also treasures the stillness. When he runs, observed by a few placid deer and the occasional owl, the memories that trouble him vanish like mist. They always come back, though. He can never run far enough to escape them completely. Mains, 39, is a veteran of the Iraq war and a longtime Woodstock firefighter and paramedic who has been diagnosed with a severe case of post-traumatic stress disorder. The symptoms built slowly over years, ultimately becoming so pronounced that a few months ago Mains had to leave the job that he loved.  

Many years of fundraising efforts, patience and persistence led the Adrian Fire Department to accomplish a decade-long goal that will help better serve their community and surrounding areas. "I started this project ten years ago," said Wilbur Garrison, Adrian Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief. The goal of the project was to raise enough money to build a new $250,000 fire station that would be able to house six fire trucks and have a heating system. "We were housing most of our trucks in three different buildings, one which was not heated. So, we would have to drain six of our trucks every winter. So, when we would get a fire during the winter, it was a longer response time," said Garrison. Knowing the time it takes to fill the trucks up with water and drain them, was enough reason for Garrison to start the project that could potentially save a life and someone's home.  

Well-respected and beloved Somerset Fire Chief Scott Jepson died suddenly on Thursday. Jepson, 54, of Dighton, was a 27-year veteran, joining the Somerset Fire Department in 1992 and taking over as chief in 2008. His death was announced by Somerset Deputy Fire Chief Jamison Barros, Police Chief George McNeil and Town Administrator Richard M. Brown in a news release. Police and fire personnel responded to his home at approximately 1:30 p.m. to find that Jepson had suffered an injury; the release did not specify the nature of the injury. The fire chief was transported to Charlton Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead. According to his Facebook page and Standard-Times archives, Jepson was a Fairhaven native and 1983 graduate of Old Rochester Regional High School where he was the MVP of the cross country team in his junior year.  

Buena Vista Charter Township has scheduled a town hall meeting regarding the proposed merger of its police and fire departments. The town hall will take place Friday, Jan. 3 from 3 to 5 p.m. at Buena Vista Community Center, located at 1940 S Outer Drive, west of I-75. The township's goal is to gauge public opinion, answer questions and provide information to residents regarding a potential merger of the township's public safety departments. If implemented, the merger would lead to job cuts for some firefighters and police officers would be "cross-trained" to handle firefighting duties, said township Superintendent Torrie McAfee. This would not affect services, McAfee said. The merger is being considered for its potential savings, which could be necessary for the township to avoid cuts to employees, McAfee said.  

Santa Rosa artist Adrian Litman, who lost his home in the Tubbs fire two years ago, wanted to make a simple, direct statement with his new metal sculpture. He wanted to capture the importance of water in the often gut-wrenching work firefighters do every time an alarm goes off in the firehouse. Mounted atop a waist-high slab of concrete in front of the Santa Rosa Fire Station 1 on Sonoma Avenue, the metal sculpture is of a giant heart made of silver, flowing water that surrounds red tongues of fire. The piece is part of a Santa Rosa city arts program promoting the work of artists who were affected by the 2017 North Bay wildfires. Litman and his wife lost their home on Deer Trail Road during the fire, which reached down into the north end of Rincon Valley. The retired couple had purchased the home in 2012 and Litman had converted a four-car garage into an art studio and office space.