A firefighter was critically injured battling a fire on the Northwest Side early Thursday morning. Chicago fire officials said two other people were also hurt in the blaze, and one died. The fire broke out just after 2 a.m. in the basement of a two-floor apartment building in the 3100-block of North Marmora Avenue, right next to St. Ferdinand Church in Belmont Central, Chicago police said. Chicago fire said the victims besides the firefighter who were injured included two men and a woman, who was taken to Loyola University Medical Center. All three suffered burns and were also critically injured. Officials later said one person died after the fire, but did not specify who it was. The firefighter, who had been with the department for only a year, was taken to Community First Hospital, where other firefighters began to gather early Thursday morning.  

With a little more than a week out until Christmas, 30 people are now suddenly homeless. A fire severely damaged their apartment homes in Cicero early Wednesday morning. The fire chief in Cicero says it is a miracle that there were no injuries or fatalities because of how quickly the fire spread and the rush to get residents to safety. Taking a look from the outside, the building appears normal but inside it's a different story. Fire crews worked for hours extinguishing the overnight blaze along 51st Court. Cicero's fire chief says flames spread through the walls and ceilings. Three apartments were destroyed and more than 20 others sustained significant damage. At least 30 residents are now displaced.  

VIDEO: No animals are believed to survive a stable fire on Rockford's Southwest side early Thursday morning which spread to a nearby barn. First responders received a call shortly after 2:30 a.m. for a report of a possible barn fire on the 1800 block of Michigan Ave. Crews arrived on the scene within minutes and found a stable fully engulfed with fire through the roof. The fire spread to a barn just 10-feet from the stable. First responders got water on the fire quickly, but officials say the high winds made it harder for them to put out the flames. "Any time you have a wind-driven fire, it spreads much faster and your exposures become a lot more of an issue," says Blackhawk/New Milford Fire Chief Jonathan Trail. "As the heat gets pushed, as the flames get pushed, you've got to worry more about fire spread and exposure control instead of just putting the base of the fire out."  

After a week, an online fundraiser for the family of a slain Sterling firefighter has raised $19,220, as of Wednesday, Dec. 15. When Rhianna Mengel of Kenosha, Wis., started the GoFundMe campaign, in just one day, the account Mengel established for the Garrett Ramos family already raised $7.020. "Garrett was an incredible husband and father who brought my friend endless joy and gave her the two most precious gifts possible, their beautiful daughters, Ruthie and Kepa," Mengel wrote on the GoFundMe she created for Ramos' wife (and her best friend), Brittney. "I am hoping, during this holiday season, that friends, family, acquaintances, and anyone touched by this devastating news may come together to support this young family, whether it's to donate $1, share this to your friends, or even a prayer of healing."  

The Romeoville Fire Department will be able to purchase critical rescue equipment used in vehicle extractions after it recently received a grant from Illinois American Water after it one of 90 departments statewide to share $92,000 in grant funding. The Romeoville Fire Department will purchase telescoping rams for its heavy rescue unit that is used in the extraction process on emergency calls, according to a news release. Since 2010, more than 770 grants totaling over $760,000 have been awarded to Illinois fire and emergency organizations in the Illinois American Water's service area. "We know the importance and value water has in protecting homes and businesses; we also understand the need to support our local heroes.  

The Galesburg Fire Department responded to a structure fire Tuesday at 2:07 p.m. Upon arrival, firefighters discovered smoke from the west side of the single-story home, located at 345 East Third Street. All three stations of the Galesburg Fire Department and the 12 personnel on duty assisted as Battalion Chief Derek Perry and the Central Station crew entered the home and extinguished the fire in the basement. Crews located and rescued five puppies. No injuries were reported. The fire is still under investigation by Galesburg Fire and Police Department investigators.  

VIDEO: Three people were killed late Wednesday night after a fire truck collided with an SUV and crashed into a building in Westport. A Kansas City Fire Department truck was heading northbound on Broadway Boulevard near Westport Road on the way to a house fire shortly after 10 p.m. The fire truck then collided with a Honda CRV that was traveling westbound on Westport Road. Both vehicles ended up crashing into the building housing the former Riot Room music venue. The man and woman inside the SUV died, along with a woman who was on-foot at the scene. That pedestrian's body was pulled from the building's rubble shortly before 8 a.m. Thursday following an extensive recovery effort. "It's been complicated by the fact that the building is very unstable and presents a risk to rescuers," said Sgt. Bill Mahoney with the Kansas City Police Department.  

VIDEO: A fire helmet is a piece of equipment firefighters use every day. But the helmets can't be used forever. "These helmets, they have about a 10-year shelf life," Shanen French, Founder of Lids For Kids, said. "At 10 years, regardless of if it's new, used, or whatever, we have to figure out a way to repurpose it. In the past, we were just discarding them. We wanted to repurpose them, recycle them." Fire helmets are now recycled into the Lids For Kids program. The program gifts a personalized and autographed fire helmet, and a day as an honorary firefighter, to special individuals. It began in 2014, and as of Wednesday, has now honored 50 kids who are living life with challenges. The Lids For Kids 50th recipient is Michael Southerland. "I am happy to be a firefighter," Michael said. "I've wanted to be a firefighter forever."  

Firefighters were temporarily trapped after multiple power poles reportedly snapped and fell over in front of Hobby Lobby at Frisco Station Mall in Rogers, Ark., causing stoplights to be out all along Walnut Street Wednesday afternoon. Witnesses say they believe strong winds caused the accident. "Around lunchtime today Engine 4 was traveling down Walnut Street when several utility poles broke and dropped live electrical wires on the fire truck, trapping the crew. With the assistance of Southwestern Electric Power Company – SWEPCO technicians the firefighters were able to quickly disentangle the apparatus and escaped uninjured," according to a Facebook post by the Rogers Fire Department. SWEPCO is reporting about 3,000 customers without power. At this time there is no estimated time for repair.  

Join the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) for a special video salute to our nation's fallen firefighters. America's Tribute to Fallen Firefighters, a 1-hour tribute video, features both the Candlelight and Memorial ceremonial events from this year's NFFF 40th Anniversary Memorial Weekend. America's Tribute to Fallen Firefighters will premiere on Sunday, December 19th, at 7:00 pm Eastern time, 4:00 pm Pacific time on the NFFF Facebook Channel and on YouTube at NFFFTV. Hosted by CBS News Anchor Norah O'Donnell, the program recognizes heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty serving their communities and their country. Eighty-seven firefighters died in the line of duty in 2020. Eighty-two firefighters died in 2019. Forty-six firefighters who died in the line of duty in previous years were also honored.