A decades-old Avondale mural painted to memorialize firefighters who died in a massive arson fire is getting a facelift. Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th) is teaming up with the city to restore the large Fireman's Memorial Park mural overlooking the busy intersection of Diversey, Milwaukee and Kimball avenues. Originally painted in the mid-'80s after the deadly fire, the mural has deteriorated in recent years from extreme weather, Ramirez-Rosa said. Ramirez-Rosa is using about $50,000 in aldermanic discretionary funds to replace the crumbling mural. The alderman is working with the city's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events on the new mural, expected to debut this fall, Ramirez-Rosa said.  

A massive fire destroyed 28 private cabins at Grand Bear Resort at Starved Rock in Utica last month. Now, investigators said they believe the blaze was likely caused by a charcoal grill that was left unattended on a porch. The Utica Fire Department said it received a call about a porch fire at about 5:20 p.m. May 30. The fire quickly spread to multiple buildings. At a press conference the following day, officials said seven cabin buildings were lost, with each building having four units. The fire was contained to the cabin and villa section of the resort, not the actual hotel and waterpark. The wind played a huge role in the spread of the flames, officials said.  

When it's time to have a baby, it's time to have a baby. A baby boy decided it was time to come into the world on Tuesday when his family was driving along Interstate 74 in Woodford County. They were on the way to the hospital when they knew they needed help. Paramedics Scott Rossman and LeeAnn Syck from the Eureka-Goodfield Fire Protection District responded. The baby arrived only a couple of minutes after Rossman and Syck arrived. "An imminent birth is a little more nerve-racking, so you never know what you're walking into," said Rossman who's a lead EMS instructor. "Unlike having hospital staff with multiple providers, it's just the two of us, so we have to be prepared at all times." The paramedics say Mom and baby are doing fine. This is her fourth child.  

Towing officials said a truck caught fire Wednesday while carrying 44,000 pounds of peanut butter. It happened on I-57 North near Rantoul. Feldkamp's Towing service shared pictures of the scene. Charred jars of peanut butter could be seen scattered across the side of the road. Officials have not yet announced what caused the fire.  

Several agencies were heavily engaged with a massive fire that broke out at a tire yard in Montebello Friday morning. The fire was first reported just after 2:15 a.m. on Bluff Road near Maynard Road, prompting a long battle between firefighters and the massive flames. According to Montebello Fire Department, the fire was very stubborn due to the burning rubber and was expected to continue for hours. The property is home to thousands of tires, which makes the flames difficult to extinguish. No injuries were reported as a result of the fire, and investigators were already working to determine a cause.  

After wrapping up a 24-hour shift as a firefighter in Toledo, Ohio, this past weekend, Myles Copeland went to New York to suit up for his other job, a player for Toledo Glass City of The Basketball League, for a playoff game against the Jamestown Jackals. But his two worlds collided near the end of the first quarter of Saturday's game when a referee, John Sculli, passed out on the court and became unresponsive. It happened across from Toledo's bench, and instantly, Copeland sprang into action. He checked Sculli's vitals, but didn't feel a pulse or see him breathing, so Copeland began administering CPR until paramedics arrived. "It was kind of instinctual. It surprised me how quick I was able to switch into that mode, especially being in a basketball game," Copeland said during a phone interview with ESPN on Wednesday. "But with being a firefighter, when you're off the job, you're really not off the job. You still got to keep an eye out for the community and what's going on around you."  

PHOTOS: Fred Sullivan stood in complete darkness on the fourth floor of the Hotel Vendome, a rookie Boston firefighter waiting for orders as the remnants of a four-alarm fire were being extinguished at the once-elegant building on Commonwealth Avenue and Dartmouth Street. It was the afternoon of June 17, 1972, and Sullivan could hear his experienced colleagues about 25 yards away, talking among themselves, some leaning against a wall. Suddenly, the floor under them collapsed, and they plummeted amid a crush of falling debris. "They had the fire knocked down," recalled Sullivan, who retired in 2009 as a district fire chief. "They had only a little bit of work to do." The nine firefighters who died at the Hotel Vendome a half-century ago Friday remain the largest loss of life in the history of the Boston Fire Department. For the families of the deceased, for former firefighters who knew the fallen, and for new recruits who are shown the site, their sacrifice endures.  

Houston Life went on the hunt for deserving dads to give a hobby upgrade in time for Father's Day, and we found them at Katy Fire Department. Teaming up with Academy Sports + Outdoors in Katy, we called upon store director James Bage to lean on his hobby upgrading skills. Dad No. 1, Captain Matthew Ondruch, has two little girls and not only is Katy Fire Department's very first Training Captain, he also teaches EMS classes at the local colleges. Ondruch scored a grilling and Astros fan upgrade with the latest Blackstone accessories and matching daddy/daughter Astros swag. Captain Adam Troncoso, our Dad No. 2, had his daughters join in and together they picked the gear to take their family fishing trips to the next level. Dad No. 3, Battalion Chief Jordan Smith, used his upgrade to make a difference for his son, who lives with congenital heart disease.  

A decades-old Avondale mural painted to memorialize firefighters who died in a massive arson fire is getting a facelift. Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th) is teaming up with the city to restore the large Fireman's Memorial Park mural overlooking the busy intersection of Diversey, Milwaukee and Kimball avenues. Originally painted in the mid-'80s after the deadly fire, the mural has deteriorated in recent years from extreme weather, Ramirez-Rosa said. Ramirez-Rosa is using about $50,000 in aldermanic discretionary funds to replace the crumbling mural. The alderman is working with the city's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events on the new mural, expected to debut this fall, Ramirez-Rosa said. "The three firefighters that lost their lives in Avondale died in response to an arson fire. They were protecting our community, and that mural honors their sacrifice," Ramirez-Rosa said.