Two people were injured after a house fire in Peoria early Saturday morning. According to a news release from Battalion Chief Jeff Hascall, firefighters were called around 1:40 a.m. to a two-story home in the 1500 block of N. Bigelow Street near W. Pennsylvania Avenue. The first crews to arrive found flames consuming the entire front of the home that also extended inside. Two residents were able to escape before firefighters arrived. They were both taken to the hospital, one with minor injuries and the other with more serious injuries. Additional crews were called to the scene to assist. After the bulk of the fire was knocked down, crews entered the home to search for any trapped occupants and put out the rest of the fire. No one else was found inside.  

The Office of the State Fire Marshal is offering fire departments and ambulance services across the state a chance to purchase small equipment and tools through grant money. The OSFM is offering $4 million to help eligible agencies buy equipment, and it is now accepting applications for this money. "The OSFM continues to hear the needs of departments across the state, and I am proud to be able to increase funding to $4 million dollars for our small equipment grant program for this fiscal year," Illinois State Fire Marshal James A. Rivera said in a statement. "Our firefighters in Illinois deserve to have the best equipment that helps keep them safe, which in turn allows them to help residents in their time of need. The OSFM continues our dedication to helping provide this much needed funding to departments across the state."  

PHOTOS: Multiple fire departments responded to a fire Sunday afternoon that destroyed a Plainview home. Fire officials said the fire on Lillian Lane started around 3 p.m. Nine volunteer fire departments responded to the massive house fire. Eyewitnesses said the flames engulfed the residence within minutes. Several hoses and ladders were deployed to fight the fire from the exterior. Responding crews were able to bring the fire under control within an hour. Officials said the home was unoccupied at the time and there were no injuries reported. News 12 Long Island was told the new homeowners were set to move in next week. Neighbors said the family who were too distraught to talk had just closed on the house. Neighbors said they first spotted flames coming from garbage cans outside the home. They said renovations were being done inside earlier in the day.  

VIDEO: Arizona's hiking trails can be a hotspot for tourists, but hiking them in the heat of summer can be deadly. Every year, the Scottsdale Fire Department rescues nearly 400 people from hiking trails. To help spread awareness about these rescues and how important it is to be prepared, Scottsdale Fire and Arizona's Family teamed up to conduct a simulated rescue. Our reporter Mickaela Castillo and Scottsdale Fire Capt. Dave Folio hiked 2 miles up Tom's Thumb in Scottsdale. The rescue team then hiked up the mountain and conducted their rescue by putting Castillo in what they call a ‘Big Wheel.' To use this equipment requires five to six firefighters who put the patient on a gurney, strap them in, and then carry them down the mountain.  

VIDEO/PHOTOS: Cory Asimus struggled to get to the finish line Sunday but giving up was never even a thought. The 33-year-old Freedom resident and Appleton firefighter was not only chasing a world record, he was also raising money and awareness for Project Vaspire 316, a cause he cares deeply about. Asimus finished the Community First Fox Cities Marathon Presented by Miron Construction in an unofficial time of 4 hours, 53 minutes, 7 seconds. He was more than two hours behind the overall winner, but in case you hadn't heard, the former machine gunner in the United States Marine Corps did it while wearing a 100-pound rucksack. His time, when it is confirmed by Guinness, will break the previous record by 10 minutes. "Everything hurts right now," Asimus said about 30 minutes after crossing the finish line.  

VIDEO/PHOTOS: A teenage firefighter-in-training, who dreams of working for the Pasadena Fire Department, managed to survive a tragic dune buggy accident outside Las Vegas, but was left with severe burns over most of her body. For 17-year-old America Salmeron, the story is about determination and perseverance. She has a long road to recovery and what those around say she needs most right now is support from the community that she hopes to one day serve. "America embodies everything that the Pasadena Firefighter Explorer Program is," Pasadena Fire Department Capt. Arno Avakian told KTLA. "She's a hard worker, she's driven, positive attitude, always willing to help others." The teen is also already a leader in the department's Explorer Program and was in the process of interviewing to become a sponsored cadet at the Verdugo Fire Academy, but after the accident, her journey is going to take longer than she'd planned.