Seven people, including a firefighter, were injured in an early-morning fire Saturday in an apartment building in Schaumburg, officials said. Schaumburg police and fire responded at 1:28 a.m. after receiving reports of a fire on the 100 block of Salado Court, according to a news release from the Schaumburg Police Department. When first responders arrived, the first floor of the building was on fire and two people were trapped on the third floor, the release said. They began to evacuate the building and called for assistance and equipment from several nearby fire departments, according to the release. The two people trapped on the third floor jumped from the window and were taken to Amita St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates with serious injuries.  

Coming from a Wisconsin-based company, Jacksonville Fire Department's two new trucks already have a connection to Jacksonville before they enter the city limits. Jacksonville native Scott Mumford, a service technician for Pierce Manufacturing in Wisconsin, already has had his hands on the truck, connecting them with Jacksonville before they even left the factory. Jacksonville Fire Department has ordered two new trucks that will be delivered later this month. "I told my boss I wanted them to come down my line," Mumford said. "I've watched them all the way through the process." Getting to oversee the project was exciting, said Mumford, who recently was promoted. Aside from the frame, Mumford and his team built the trucks from the ground up, adding all the specifications and graphics requested by the department. It was a process that took the team seven weeks to complete.  

A junkyard fire in south suburban Blue Island consumed 40 to 50 vehicles Saturday and brought down a house. Over 14 fire companies from Blue Island and the surrounding communities responded to the blaze about 3:50 a.m. at a junkyard near 131st Street and Kedzie Avenue, Daniel Reda, Blue Island Fire Chief, said. The fire raged for over two hours, burning up between 40 and 50 vehicles and collapsing a nearby house, Reda said. The flames were extinguished about 6 a.m., with the last hot spots going out around 9 a.m. No one was injured in the fire, Reda said. The Illinois Fire Marshal's office is investigating, Reda said. The fire marshal's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.  

Only four years old, Sunday was a big day for Braden Cotton of Bloomington, who was dressed up in a child's firefighter coat, complete with helmet, during the annual Chief Del Thomas Fire Truck Parade in Bloomington. "He is ‘super excited,'" said his mother, Caitlin Cotton, of Bloomington. Late last month, Braden's great-grandfather, James "Don" Bratcher, died at the age of 98. The retired Bloomington firefighter and Illinois State fire marshal inspector was the oldest surviving retired Bloomington Fire Department member. "Firefighting is in Braden's blood," she said. "He gets his excitement of fire trucks naturally. So it is a special day because he is certainly in our thoughts." The annual parade, which was started in 1982 by Hudson Fire Chief Del Thomas when he persuaded McLean County fire departments to hold a parade as a way to kick off Fire Prevention Week, featured about 35 trucks and first responder vehicles from McLean County.  

La Salle Fire Department's fire station open house included a celebration of community support for a preservation project. Retired firefighter Nick LaCosta cut a ribbon Saturday for the dedication of Fire Station No. 2, a building constructed across from the main fire station in La Salle to display and protect the antique American LaFrance ladder truck that the city bought in 1928 for just over $15,000. The building cost just over $29,000 to build, and throughout the past two years, donated labor and public donations paid for the project. Plaques display the names of financial donors and people and companies who donated labor and expertise. Among those attending the dedication was Bob Ficek of North Carolina and other members of the family of former fire chief Joseph Ficek, who manned the rear steering wheel of the ladder truck and served on the department in the 1950s, '60s and '70s.  

Kicking off Fire Prevention Week, one of our region's department houses opened its doors to the community for an open house. For the sixth time, firefighters and paramedics pile into the station while off-duty to set up fun and exciting demonstrations for kids and families to enjoy. From ambulance and fire truck tours, to thrilling extrication demonstrations, the open house gives those interested the chance to hear about the intense and often dangerous job of first responders, as well as learn some valuable safety tips. "You know a lot of times you drive by the stations and you go 'I wonder what goes on in there.' So we give you a up close and personal opportunity to see what we do, and also to meet the guys that respond to your emergencies in the community," said Chief Al Hyser.  

A Lexington County firefighter has died after he was struck by a semi while trying to help victims of a car crash. The fire service said Lexington County Fire Service Fire Engineer Paul Quattlebaum, a 22-year veteran of the agency, had been dispatched to a service call around 3:30 p.m. Friday. While he was headed to the scene, he and his partner saw a car crash in the 5200 block of Fairview Road. The firefighters stopped to check on those involved, and while they were doing their duty, Quattlebaum was struck by the semi. EMS began giving care to Quattlebaum at the scene, and he was taken to the hospital where he later died. Quattlebaum is from Batesburg-Leesville, and began with the agency as a volunteer firefighter in 1997. He became full-time in 2000, and was promoted to fire engineer in 2002.  

The 38th National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service took place over the weekend at the National Fire Academy in Maryland. The sound of bagpipes and drums could be heard for miles as people gathered to remember and honor 119 fallen heroes from 2018 and previous years. The rainy weather didn't stop over 5,000 people from silently listening to fire officials talk about brave men and women from all over the nation, who died protecting their community. "That's over 28 million emergencies in which our brave men and women, career and volunteer, emergency medical responders, firefighters bravely confront the hazards that are associated with protecting their community and fellow citizens from the dangers of all types and sizes," Chief Keith Bryant said, head of the U.S. Fire Administration.  

VIDEO: Authorities reported multiple injuries after a series of electrical explosions sent massive fireballs into the air Saturday night at a shopping and dining complex in Huntington Beach. Staff at the Old World German restaurant on Center Avenue noticed an odor coming from the underground electrical vault. The fire department was called to the scene - where the restaurant was holding an Oktoberfest event - and the first explosion erupted shortly after, around 8:30 p.m. Two firefighters were injured while investigating the initial explosion just before another one went off. Witnesses say the lights started to flicker and the power went out before up to three explosions only about a minute apart rocked the restaurant. Huntington Beach Fire Department officials say two firefighters and two civilians were injured, including a restaurant employee who led fire crews to the vault.  

The firehouse on John F. Kennedy Boulevard is just under a mile from Janice Pantano's Central Avenue shore home, but on May 23, when Pantano called 911 to report her car on fire, it took 19 minutes before firefighters had begun spraying water at the scene. By the time the fire was put out, her car and her home were destroyed. Pantano, 62, of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, wants to know why it took so long. According to a review of 18 months of fire call data and a former city fire chief, the city follows a legal, if controversial, practice of sending police officers to a fire first before calling out firefighters. In Pantano's case, police arrived within moments of her 911 call at 10:36 p.m., but the Sea Isle City Volunteer Fire Department wasn't dispatched until six minutes later, according to computerized dispatch records obtained through a public records request.  

A Windsor family contacted environmental officials after they said they saw firefighting foam building up in their backyard brook. Connecticut health officials issued an alert immediately following a deadly vintage plane crash on Wednesday where the firefighting foam with PFAS may have made its way into the Farmington River and surrounding waterways. Currently, state and local officials said they are reviewing samples to determine if the toxic chemical is in the water. Residents are strongly discouraged from touching the foam or fishing in the Farmington River. Sunday, Channel 3 spoke with a Windsor resident who said the foam has encroached on her property in Windsor. Paddy Abramowicz told Channel 3 her backyard brook, Rainbow Brook, feeds into the Farmington River, and on Saturday, she said she noticed foam bubbling over.