More than 30 firefighters were needed in Springfield to extinguish a fire that broke out in mixed-occupancy building on Wednesday. Sangamon County Sheriff's deputies were the first to arrive at 2936 South MacArthur Boulevard at 12:44 p.m. They reported that the rear of the building was fully engulfed in flames and two occupants had been removed from the building. Due to a language barrier, however, it was unknown if all occupants were accounted for. Firefighters arrived shortly after and upgraded the fire to a two-alarm response. They made an aggressive attack inside to keep the fire from spreading and searched both floors for any remaining occupants; none were found. The two that were earlier removed from the building were treated by paramedics on the scene.  

Illinois State Fire Marshal, Matt Perez, has announced plans to retire at the end of this month. Perez has served over 7 years as Illinois State Fire Marshal and over 37 years in the public safety field. Perez worked for two years as a patrol officer in the Kane County Sheriff's Department. He then joined the Aurora Fire Department where he served 27 years and became certified as a paramedic, an arson investigator, and rose to the rank of Assistant Chief. Under Perez's leadership, the agency developed programs which addressed hazards faced by firefighters including carcinogen exposure reduction and firefighter mental health.  

Seven people living in a Peoria home on N. University Street and W. Macqueen Avenue are now displaced after a car crashed into the building Thursday morning. Police received the call at 7:38 a.m. and learned the driver of a Chevy Cruz somehow lost control of their vehicle and crashed into the home. No one inside the home was injured, police said. Peoria Fire Department Battalion Chief Scott Strum said although the driver was not injured, they were taken to a local hospital to be checked out. At this time, it is unknown what caused the driver to lose control of their vehicle. No arrests have been made. Inspectors estimated the crash inflicted a total of $40,000 in damage.  

Three kayakers were rescued from the Kishwaukee River early Thursday morning. The Blackhawk Fire Protection District says one of the kayakers called for help saying the group was lost and disoriented as night fell. About 20 minutes after rescue crews arrived, one team reported voice contact with the three kayakers.. They were found a short time later. None of the three were injured and rescue teams were able to get them safely out of the river and back to their vehicles. The fire protection district credited the work of its dispatchers in providing GPS coordinates to help pinpoint the trio quickly.  

VIDEO: Sunday, June 19 saw the largest fire in 25 years in the City of Las Vegas, and it happened in the middle of the night and in a populated neighborhood. And yet, nobody died. Call it a miracle, but the new bodycam footage shows just how heroic the work of first responders was that night as they evacuated residents just feet from the relentless flames. "Alright watch out," said one officer, attempting to evacuate a condo as the flames roar nearby. He kicked down the door. "Metro police!" Las Vegas fire officials previously said the cause of the fire is not suspicious. They declined to provide any further updates as of this publishing. Still, they said they believe it originated in a vacant construction site, and they are investigating for the potential of arson. "You guys gotta go!" shouted officers, who knocked on doors and busted them down to get people out while the flames raged on.  

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is releasing the largest update to its mobile application in a decade, the agency announced today. FEMA is releasing the app at the beginning of a hurricane season that experts predict will be above average and a wildfire season that's already devastating, for example, In New Mexico. The update makes the app more like social media and includes options for users to personalize the information they get when disasters hit. It also makes the app more user friendly to people with disabilities. "We are better helping communities plan, protect and recover from disasters through clear, effective and relatable communication," FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell said in a statement. The previous version of the app had a list of categories for notifications and looked like a directory or listserv. In the updated version, users can customize what they see based on their preferences and location.  

Days after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, hospitals, clinics, and even fire departments are preparing to navigate the ruling. After the abortion ruling, the Port Arthur Fire Department is prepared for an uptick in newborn drop-offs. According to Port Arthur Fire Chief, hardly anyone uses their Safe Haven resource, but that could change after the Supreme Court ruling. Perhaps you've seen signs showing that fire stations are a "safe baby site." Safe Haven laws have been in place for decades. "I'm not sure everybody knows that fire stations are Safe Haven facilities," Port Arthur Fire Chief Greg Benson said. Since 1999, the Texas Safe Haven law has protected moms who feel they cannot take care of their newborn babies. Benson said they are prepared for a ripple effect following the court's ruling. "Well, it certainly is a possibility. One of the things that I advocate for is that we've been being proactive," Benson said.  

A portrait filled the last vacancy on the photo wall at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum on Wednesday, concluding the almost 16-year-long project to memorialize the hundreds killed as a result of the terrorist attacks of 2001. Antonio Dorsey Pratt's portrait, provided through Voices Center for Resilience, an organization started after 9/11 that is dedicated to remembering the victims, was hung on the wall. Pratt was an employee of Cantor Fitzgerald Forte Food Service on the 101st floor of the north tower of the old World Trade Center. "This is a chapter in the sense that we were able to provide the last missing photograph for the exhibit," said Mary Fetchet, director of Voices Center for Resilience. Alice Greenwald, CEO of the memorial and museum, said Pratt's photo marked the completion "of a process that began almost 16 years ago when we began work on just even imagining what the 9/11 Memorial & Museum would be and what it would contain."  

Fireworks on the Fourth of July date back all the way to the nation's founding. On July 2, 1776, John Adams wrote to his wife that signing the Declaration of Independence—which would happen in two days—should be met with celebrations that included "illuminations," the 18th-century word for "fireworks." The pyrotechnic marvels have illuminated the skies since. In the modern-day U.S., consumer fireworks are a $1.9 billion dollar business. Most of that consumption occurs right around the Fourth of July—and in all states but one (Massachusetts), some types of fireworks are legal to buy. Several states have additional restrictions on airborne fireworks, but allow sparklers and other, less powerful fireworks. Americans' love of fireworks isn't limited to Independence Day, though: "Display fireworks," which are used in commercial displays rather than set off by consumers, amounted to $262 million in revenue in 2021. Even in states in which consumer fireworks are tightly regulated, fireworks shows still happen regularly at sporting events, festivals, and concerts.