The Taylorville Fire Department (TFD) responded to a house fire on Tuesday. At 9:21 p.m. crews arrived at the 1100 block of W. South Street. Once on the scene the wind was blowing at 27 mph and the house was fully involved. With the high winds drastically feeding the fire TFDs on duty crew went with a heavy defensive attack to protect the surrounding homes. The fire was brought under control within 10 minutes however, due to the extensive fire damage crews remained on the scene for approximately three hours overhauling and extinguishing hot spots. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation.  

Four people are recovering in an Urbana hospital after they were rescued from a water-filled drainage ditch following a car crash on I-57 Tuesday morning. State Police officials said the crash appeared to be weather-related, and it happened two miles south of the exit to U.S. Route 45 just before 12:30 a.m. Several emergency response agencies sent personnel to the scene, including the Pesotum Fire Protection District. Pesotum Fire officials said the car went into the median and drove offroad for about 200 feet. The car came to a stop in a steep drainage ditch that had running water in it at the time. Out of an abundance of caution, the Cornbelt Fire Protection District water rescue team was called to the scene. Firefighters were able to climb down the ditch's sides and rescue the four people.  

VIDEO: In 2023, the International Association of Fire Fighters added 571 names to the Fallen Firefighter Memorial Wall, and 361 of those names died from occupational cancer. "It's real. We have probably had 5 to 10 just in Illinois in the last 18 months succumb to the illness," said Chuck Sullivan, AFFI President. Over the weekend, the Sycamore, Illinois Fire Department laid to rest one of its own. According to Sullivan, Bradley Belanger, a firefighter and paramedic for the DeKalb County community, battled esophageal cancer until the end. "He never smoked. He never drank. He had been on the job for 20 years." The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) found cancer is the leading cause of death among firefighters, and research suggests firefighters are at higher risk of certain types of cancers when compared to the general public.  

Dramatic video from Middletown Fire Company shows Delaware County's Water Rescue Task Force saving a man's life after getting trapped during the height of Tuesday night's storm. "He phoned 911. All he was able to tell us was he lived off Flora Lane in Upper Chichester Township," Director of Delaware County Emergency Services, Timothy Boyce, described an emergency phone call. The 20-year-old, identified by a family member as Joel Bryant, reportedly checking out what he thought was a fire in his neighborhood and wound up surrounded by water as the Marcus Hook Creek turned into a raging river by Riviera Drive just before 11 p.m. Tuesday night. "At the time, the water was so strong," Boyce said.  

VIDEO: A large salary increase comes in with the new year after Myrtle Beach City Council approved a $4.9 million budget adjustment. It was approved on first reading in November. Since then, they approved a second and final reading. City workers — full or part-time, received their first 2024 paycheck last weekend. City council says after reviewing comparable cities and counties, Myrtle Beach's compensation was at or below market rates. Capt. Jonathan Evans with Myrtle Beach Fire Department says the new adjustment allows the fire service and police to be competitive and one of the top paid in the state. He says they were given another $5,000 across the board, making the new minimum starting salary for firefighters more than $50,000. Evans says the department currently has around 180 people, but they're hoping to recruit more.  

VIDEO: In 2023, the International Association of Fire Fighters added 571 names to the Fallen Firefighter Memorial Wall, and 361 of those names died from occupational cancer. "It's real. We have probably had 5 to 10 just in Illinois in the last 18 months succumb to the illness," said Chuck Sullivan, AFFI President. Over the weekend, the Sycamore, Illinois Fire Department laid to rest one of its own. According to Sullivan, Bradley Belanger, a firefighter and paramedic for the DeKalb County community, battled esophageal cancer until the end. "He never smoked. He never drank. He had been on the job for 20 years." The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) found cancer is the leading cause of death among firefighters, and research suggests firefighters are at higher risk of certain types of cancers when compared to the general public.  

VIDEO: Bourbon is America's only native spirit, and around it has formed a billion dollar industry steeped in legacy and tradition. Brought by some of the first immigrants to the newly formed United States and developed to perfection in Kentucky, bourbon was born. In the decades that followed, a collection of ambitious entrepreneurs opened their own distilleries and put their unique twists on the classic formula. These businessmen and women passed down their secrets and recipes to the next generations, creating the bourbon families of Kentucky. Time held ups and downs for the whiskey dynasties, from the boom of the Industrial Revolution to the devastating impact of Prohibition. By the end of the 20th century, bourbon was booming once again, with sales on the up. But on November 7, 1996, a storm was brewing near Louisville, Kentucky.  

The Baltimore City spending board approved a new program Wednesday aimed at solving the city's emergency medical services shortage. Baltimore City Fire Chief James Wallace said the city is down 80 EMS providers, and that number has increased. In June, firefighters union Local 734 president Matthew Coster said there were 74 vacancies. "We don't have the resources for the call volume," Coster said. Wallace said he hopes a new $7,500 retention and recruitment bonus will help fix the problem. "The market, if you will, for emergency medical services providers has become very competitive, both regionally and nationally. We're also very aware of the fact that the pool of candidates has shrunk significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic," Wallace said.