An explosion close to Rockton, Ill. took place at a chemical plant Monday morning. Large fire from a building caused heavy smoke to cover the air in the area. One side of the building collapsed, according to Tri-State Fire Alert. There is a mandatory evacuation was ordered due to the industrial fire at Chem Tool, according to the Rockton Police Department. Rockton Fire ordered the mandatory evacuation, and the notice affects all residents and businesses south of the plant on Prairie Hill Road.  

Effingham Fire Chief Bob Tutko has announced his retirement, with his final day being July 2. He also announced this week that the fire department has installed a new warning system for motorists called HAAS Alert and that they are conducting surveys of businesses in town. "My wife has retired from teaching, I have been a firefighter since 1979, so that is 41 years of wearing a pager and ‘being-on-call," said Tutko when asked why he wanted to step down. Tutko started in Effingham in August 2018 as interim fire chief after the former fire chief, Joe Holomy, stepped down. Tutko was previously retired and has served in fire departments throughout northern Illinois and Michigan. He was selected in collaboration with the Illinois Fire Chief Association to work as the interim chief before he applied for the permanent position.  

Joliet Fire Chief Greg Blaskey said that a house at 1311 East Cass Street was destroyed during an overnight fire. Joliet fire trucks responded to the structure fire around 12:30 a.m. Monday. "Upon arrival, crews found heavy fire and smoke from the rear of the home. The resident stated she saw smoke in her living room and exited the home. No injuries were reported and the home is a total loss. The cause of the fire remains under investigation," Blaskey's news release stated.  

Lincoln Police said they arrested a man in connection to an early morning fire at the Lincoln IGA. In a news release, police said both officers and firefighters were called to the grocery store on Pulaski Street shortly before 4 a.m.. The caller said they saw flames coming from the building. Officers said when crews arrived, they found the building fully engulfed. They also noticed signs of a burglary. While police were securing the area, they saw a man running away from the area. Officers caught the man and searched him. Police said he had property from the store. The man, 38-year-old Michel Rowland, was arrested and taken to the Logan County Jail. He was arrested for aggravated arson and burglary. Officials said there was major damage to the building and the merchandise inside was a total loss. There was over $2 million worth of estimated damage.  

In a span of four hours, two South Peoria garages go up in flames. Both broke out in the 2100 block of West Antionette, with one breaking out around 11 PM Sunday night, and the other happening around 3 AM Monday. A nearby home was not damaged in either fire, but both garages are total losses. The cause of both fires remain under investigation. No injuries were reported.  

Police, firefighters, and paramedics from Arlington Heights responded about 5:59 p.m. Sunday, June 13, 2021 to a report of a vehicle fire on Northwest Highway and Arthur Avenue in Arlington Heights. Firefighters arrived within a couple of minutes and discovered no flames coming from a passenger car stopped in the left lane of eastbound Northwest Highway (US-14 EAST) near the railroad crossing to Arthur Avenue and Davis Street. The car was found to be overheated. Two lanes were blocked for about 25 minutes while the right turn lane remained open on from US-14 EAST to Arthur Avenue and Davis Street on the south side of the tracks.  

An explosion close to Rockton, Ill. took place at a chemical plant Monday morning. Large flames from the Chemtool plant caused heavy smoke to cover the air in the area. A mandatory evacuation order is in place for parts of the area, according to the Rockton Police Department. Rockton Fire ordered the mandatory evacuation, and the notice affects all residents and businesses south of the plant on Prairie Hill Road. Traffic is advised to avoid the area, according to Rockton police.  

An Evansville firefighter was injured on Saturday while responding to a home for a man not breathing, according to an affidavit filed by an Evansville Police Department Officer. According to the affidavit, the incident happened Saturday afternoon at a home on Ridge Knoll Drive in Evansville, Indiana, after Evansville Dispatch received a call about a man not breathing. Members of the Evansville Fire Department were first to arrive at the home. The affidavit explains that a firefighter knocked on the door of the home but that no one answered. The firefighter said that he could hear people inside and that he heard a "very disturbing scream" from inside the home. After opening the interior door and announcing "Evansville Fire Department," the affidavit says a hand grasping a large kitchen knife reached out from inside the door, puncturing him in the face near the nose.  

VIDEO: Some firefighters from all over the US competed with Rapid City firefighters in a race. The race is called the firefighter combat challenge, and puts physical feats in the job description to the test. The Rapid City Regional Firefighter Combat Challenge Organizer, Bill Cina, says it seeks to makes sure those on the front lines battling the flames are in tip top shape. "This course started 30 years ago with Dr. Paul Davis back in Maryland. They were coming up with a way to test firefighter fitness. An agility test to set as a standard for what firefighters should be at," says Cina. Firefighting requires vigorous, intense, physical effort on a near daily basis, and the challenges during the race simulate the real deal. Not before long, the race got competitive.  

VIDEO: Austin-Travis County EMS (ATCEMS) had difficulty maneuvering around various barriers to get to victims involved in Saturday's Sixth Street shooting. The union president said their response would have been faster with a unit stationed downtown. "We have seven patients," first responder audio said." We have one CPR in progress. We need an ambulance up here. We are about to load them up in a cop car otherwise." Audio from first responders detailed the moments where Austin police sprung into action, rendering aid to the Sixth Street mass shooting victims. "At this point, we believe all patients are being transported by APD officers," the audio continued. ATCEMS said it was difficult to get to the victims because they had to maneuver around barricades that closed off Sixth Street and corralled the large chaotic crowds.  

A retired firefighter from Boynton Beach is doing his part to combat the opioid crisis. Luis Garcia has traveled across the country offering free first aid classes and giving away free Narcan through his nonprofit, USA Opioid Crisis Mortality Reduction." In the last four years, he's donated more than 6,000 doses -- saving 95 lives, according to Garcia. On Saturday, he partnered with Sol Oasis Yoga Studio to offer his classes and give out more of the life-saving medicine. "Narcan should be carried by anybody. Really, it's no different than a first aid kit, a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, an epi-pen, a defibrillator, so I encourage people who are willing to be a Good Samaritan to carry Narcan," Garcia told CBS12 News. Studies show opioid overdose is one of the leading causes of death for Americans under the age of 50.