A firefighter was injured Thursday as a massive fire ripped through homes in unincorporated Maine Township Thursday evening, according to officials. The blaze broke out in the 9400-block of Margail Avenue, between suburban Des Plaines and Park Ridge. Doorbell camera obtained exclusively by ABC7 captured a sudden apparent explosion before flames began sweeping through the townhome. "We just ran out to really check on our neighbors and just make sure they were OK," said neighbor Nica Simmons. Officials said the fire started just after 4 p.m. in one unit before spreading to three others. The roof caved in.  

The Maroa Fire Department announced on Thursday that longtime Chief Larry Peasley has passed away. In a Facebook post, the department said Peasley died on Wednesday after a 40-year career in the department. The department added that Peasley's family would like to thank the community for their thoughts and prayers over the last month. Tornado destroys silo, throws debris onto US-51 near Maroa Several other fire departments in the area took to their Facebook pages to offer condolences, including the South Macon and Assumption Fire Departments. A visitation will be held for Peasley on Monday, Jan. 9 at Calvert's Funeral Home in Clinton from 5 to 8 p.m. His funeral will be the following day at 11 a.m. at the Maroa Methodist Church.  

Two Chicago firefighters were injured responding to a house fire on the West Side Thursday morning, the Chicago Fire Department said. The fire broke out after 4 a.m. in the 1200-block of South Komensky Avenue and flames were seen coming through the roof of the home when firefighters arrived, CFD said. One firefighter fell from the second floor, but a mattress in the home broke his fall, CFD said. He was evaluated at the scene. A second firefighter was injured in his leg and transported to Mt. Sinai Hospital, but is expected to be OK. No residents were hurt. The cause of the fire is under investigation.  

Some of the applicants to the Springfield Fire Department were taking their first steps into their journey of becoming a firefighter. According to officials they have received over 300 applications for this testing period. This is an increase from the last testing period, and they are seeing more applicants than other departments that are similar in size. "We're looking forward to diversifying our workforce, and I think a lot of people have put in a lot of hard work to make sure that we are out trying to corral quality candidates to come in and take the test," said Brandon Blough, Chief of Springfield Fire Department. Currently, the Springfield Fire Department is looking for 30-40 applicants to fill positions from this testing period.  

Fire officials responded to a fire ignited in a RV heater which spread to a nearby barn at 953rd Lane in Mendon, Illinois. The fire broke out around 9 p.m. The owner said he was working on the RV heater when the fire started and then got out of control. Propane tanks outside the RV were ignited, catching the nearby barn on fire. Inside the barn there was a pig and straw. The pig survived. According to firefighters, the barn is a total loss. The Mendon Fire Department said they got most of the fire under control around 10 p.m. Fire Chief Robert Simmons said the fire was more complicated than previous ones they've had to fight.  

A firefighter was injured Thursday as a massive fire ripped through homes in unincorporated Maine Township Thursday evening, according to officials. The blaze broke out in the 9400-block of Margail Avenue, between suburban Des Plaines and Park Ridge. Doorbell camera obtained exclusively by ABC7 captured a sudden apparent explosion before flames began sweeping through the townhome. "We just ran out to really check on our neighbors and just make sure they were OK," said neighbor Nica Simmons. Officials said the fire started just after 4 p.m. in one unit before spreading to three others. The roof caved in. "We were just trying to drive through and then this happened. It was crazy. We got stuck. We couldn't leave," said Lorenz Tauzon, who happened to be driving through the area at the time of the fire.  

In 2021, Lexington Fire Department Lieutenant Joseph Sexton's son, John, got very sick. What Sexton and his wife, Katie, thought was a stomach bug turned out to be much worse. John, who was 5 years old at the time, had contracted E-Coli 0157. The E-Coli then developed into a rare disease called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome. Doctors said John needed a life-saving kidney transplant. Recent Stories from lex18.com "It's really devastating cause here's a young kid that's just starting out, has his whole life ahead of him," Lieutenant Sexton said. "And then it's kind of like, hmm, not no more." Little did the Sextons know, a fellow LFD firefighter and close friend, Tim Belcher, was getting tested to see if he was a match. He was. The successful kidney transplant surgery was on Tuesday.  

PHOTOS: A man was rescued Tuesday afternoon after he became trapped at a Montgomery County car wash. It happened around 2:30 p.m. at the Wave Car Wash located on the 200 block of Bethlehem Pike in Colmar. Video obtained by Action News shows the moment a 77-year-old man crashed through a gate and flipped inside the car wash. Officials say the man accidentally hit the gas pedal and became trapped inside his car for roughly 90 minutes. Images shared with Action News show crews trying to rescue the man. The victim was taken to an area hospital for injuries to his leg, but he is expected to survive. Colmar resident Bill Ashmead was trying to get his car washed when he pulled up to the scene and heard what happened. "I can't even imagine the process of having a car turn over inside a car wash," said Ashmead.  

The Fire Museum of Texas recognized Chief C.A. Pete Shelton, of Beaumont, as an inductee of the 2023 National Fire Heritage Center's Hall of Legends, Legacies and Leaders. The National Fire Heritage Center was established as a non-profit organization by a few fire protection experts in response to a mission charged by the U.S. Fire Administration, to collect, preserve, and provide access to the historical records of the fire service/fire protection disciplines in the United States. One way it achieves its mission is to annually induct fire service leaders into the NFHC Hall of Legends, Legacies and Leaders. Celebration for the local Legend was held Tuesday, Jan. 3, inside the Fire Museum of Texas, located at 400 Walnut St. in downtown Beaumont. During this event, the museum staff also revealed the museum's newest exhibit – which is dedicated to Chief Shelton's legacy. Shelton's career started at the age of 18 in 1950.