A 94-year-old man and his young grandchild were badly hurt in a fire on Chicago's Far South Side Wednesday, and neighbors are hoping that both can make a full recovery after the devastating blaze. "He's a nice old man," Lisa Hudson said of her 94-year-old neighbor. "He takes care of the kids, and just put his car together in the garage. I pray and hope the little boy and grandfather are alright." The man, along with a 2-year-old boy, were inside the home in the 700 block of East 91st Street just before 4:30 p.m. when a fire broke out in the home. The young boy suffered serious burns and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, according to police. The man also suffered burns and was taken to the hospital in serious condition.  

The Westmont Fire Department recently assembled 100 care packages for the 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry serving overseas in Afghanistan just outside of Kandahar. "Several of our Firefighters and Police Officers have family members who are soldiers and serving in this troop, so we wanted to give back and let them know we are thinking of them," said Westmont Fire Chief Steve Riley. "I am very proud of our department for coming together and making this project successful." The Westmont Firefighters Association (WFA), which consists of current employees of the Westmont Fire Department, created a fundraising effort last year just for this cause. They designed t-shirts and sweatshirts, and sold them at Westmont community events.  

The reimbursement of local 911 dispatching centers for calls answered between July and December was approved by the Madison County Emergency Telephone System Board at its regular Wednesday meeting. A total of $706,951 was approved. Once approved by the county board's Finance Committee and the full county board, it will be the second payment since the ETSB instituted the new policy last year. Since the 911 system came online, local police departments with 911 dispatching centers, called PSAPs, have paid the personnel cost of the system, while Madison County 911 paid for equipment and training. The county currently has 15 PSAPs, with the recent consolidation of East Alton into Wood River. The number is expected to drop to eight as part of the state-mandated consolidation, which continues to be delayed by legal maneuvering.  

The Mattoon Fire Department gained its first chief in more than two months last week when Kevin Schott began serving in this position on an interim basis. Since then, Schott said he has focused on conferring with the shift captains who have been leading the department's day-to-day operations and on getting to known the entire staff of firefighters. "They have done an excellent job," Schott said of the shift captains. "I am highly impressed by the fire department. They are extremely professional and extremely dedicated to their careers and to helping the community to the best of their ability." The department's personnel have been helping the new chief get to know Mattoon by introducing him to manufacturing facilities, high-rise apartment complexes, and other structures where fighting a fire would be especially challenging.  

A fire found in an upper level apartment unit at Husky Ridge apartment complex near Northern Illinois University campus displaced five people Wednesday afternoon. Three people in an upper level unit and two people in the ground level unit directly below lost their homes after damage from smoke and fire deemed the apartments uninhabitable, according to a news release from the DeKalb Fire Department. Multiple fire engines and crews from the DeKalb Fire Department responded to a caller reporting that the apartment unit above them may be on fire since their ceiling was hot and turning black, and they could hear crackling at 901 W. Hillcrest shortly before 3 p.m. Wednesday. Upon arrival, there were no obvious flames showing, said Fire Chief Jeff McMaster, though the two-story building was evacuated and crews located a fire, and attempted to put it out with a fire extinguisher until a handline could be used.  

An Illinois FFA chapter saw a need within its community and went to work. The Sherrard FFA raised money and purchased four grain rescue tubes for the Coyne Center, Matherville, New Windsor and Sherrard fire departments. "We wanted to give back to the people who are saving others in our community," said Sherrard FFA Vice President Kyle Osborne. The grain rescue tubes are cylinders that first responders use in grain entrapment emergencies. "The person can grab onto the handles (of the tube) and firefighters can pull them out," Osborne said. "This is an incredibly way more effective way than anything they could have done before and it's quick."  

Three American firefighters died in a water tanker plane crash Thursday while battling wildfires in Australia, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed. Rural Fire Service officials said they had located the plane, a C-130 Hercules, that crashed in the Snowy Monaro region of New South Wales state. Coulson Aviation in Oregon said in a statement that one of its C-130 Lockheed large air tankers was lost after it left Richmond in New South Wales with retardant for a firebombing mission. It said the accident was "extensive" but had few other details. "We are deeply saddened to confirm there were 3 fatalities," Coulson's statement said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the three crew members onboard." Berejiklian also gave "heartfelt condolences" to the families and said flags in New South Wales would be flown at half-staff Friday.  

VIDEO: A group of firefighters have been forced out of their station due to health concerns. According to the president of the Dearborn Firefighters Union, fire station five is a moldy mess. Instead of sleeping overnight and waking up if there's a call— firefighters have been staying in trucks. They usually stay at fire station five in Dearborn, but 7 Action News has been told what started as a flooding problem led to mold. Dearborn Firefighters Union President Jeffery Lentz says fire station five flooded two weeks ago on Jan. 9. He tells 7 Action News that firefighters were sent to other stations temporarily until the flooding was taken care of then brought back. On Wednesday, a cleanup crew discovered mold. Lentz says there is so much mold in the station – it's uninhabitable.  

After 67 years, a Charlotte Volunteer Fire Department could lose it's funding from Mecklenburg County. That was a recommendation from the county's Land Use and Environmental Services Agency at last week's Board of County Commissioner's policy meeting. They say these community fire departments are expensive to run and although no official decision has been made, the Cook's Fire Department says they will do whatever they can to keep operating. "It was a kick in the gut for all of us," said Tommy Towner, Chief of Cook's Fire Department. At the last county policy meeting, the Land Use and Environmental Services Agency presented a projected budget plan discussing community fire departments in the county. They went over the history of these departments, saying in the past they were given a flat fee from the county to help run the departments.  

VIDEO: A Phoenix fire engine was traveling approximately 29 mph over the speed limit at the time of a deadly crash in April 2019, according to the police investigation released Wednesday. The report, released more than nine months after the crash, also said the other vehicle's driver, Kenneth "Chase" Collins, 20, did not possess a valid driver's license and had marijuana in his system. Collins turned left in front of the engine, which was operating with lights and siren activated, according to the report. Police investigators did not specify which driver was at fault for the crash, and they dfid not recommend criminal charges. Phoenix Fire Engine 18 was on an emergency call on April 7 when it crashed into Collins' pickup truck on Bethany Home Road at 29th Avenue. The engine rolled over into a schoolyard, and the pickup was crushed. Collins, his girlfriend, Dariana Serrano, 19, and their infant son, Kenneth, all died in the pickup. All three firefighters on the engine were injured.  

VIDEO: Maine lawmakers are considering a bill that would make changes to the state's "Dig Safe" law in response to last year's deadly explosion in Farmington. The bill would add liquefied propane gas lines to the law. "Dig Safe" laws prohibit digging around certain underground utility lines. In Maine, LP lines are currently not on the prohibited list, bill sponsor Rep. Seth Berry said. "It is unfortunate that we have not already passed a bill to protect our LP lines. If we had, the devastating explosion in Farmington could have been avoided. We must take action now to ensure the safety of Mainers and to prevent an event like this from happening in our state again," Berry said. Berry said previous attempts to add LP lines to Maine's "Dig Safe" law did not pass in the Legislature.