VIDEO: A woman and a child were seriously injured Wednesday morning in a fire in the Clearing neighborhood. Police and Fire officials said the fire started shortly after 11 a.m. at a home on the 6600 block of West 63rd Street. A woman was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in serious to critical condition. A child was taken to Stroger Hospital of Cook County in serious to critical — but stable — condition. Police said five people were displaced as a result of the fire, and the woman and girl who were hospitalized both suffered smoke inhalation injuries.  

Illinois State Police, and firefighters and paramedics from Hoffman Estates responded about 8:58 p.m. Wednesday, March 24, 2021 to a report of a report of a rollover semi-trailer truck crash on eastbound I-90 just west of Sutton Road (Route 59) near Hoffman Estates. The first crew on arrival reported a semi-trailer truck on its side blocking three lanes with a white SUV off in a ditch. Elgin Fire Department also responded to the scene. Traffic on eastbound I-90 was reported at a standstill and backed up to about Beverly Road.  

After 57 hours of investigation, multiple interviews and help from modern technology regarding a fatal fire earlier this month, Peoria investigators have come to a conclusion: They can't figure out what caused it. Kenneth Carson, 59, was killed in the blaze on March 14 at 647 Spitznagle Ave. in the North Valley. His body was found inside his single-story frame house after an Ameren Illinois employee working nearby noticed smoke coming from it. No fire cause was determined immediately. Ten days later, that remained the case. "There is not enough evidence and correlating facts to rule on a cause at this time," fire Chief Tony Ardis stated Wednesday. According to Ardis, five of his department's employees participated in the investigation. They sifted through the remains of the house and met with Ameren representatives in an effort to eliminate possible causes.  

A kitchen fire from a Rockford apartment caused $3,000 in damages on Wednesday morning, according to the Rockford Fire Department. The Rockford Fire Department was called to 3568 Elm St. at 5:55 a.m. to find smoke coming from a first floor apartment. Firefighters found and extinguished a small kitchen fire. The fire was brought under control within 10 minutes and no injuries were reported. A total of 20 firefighters responded to the scene.  

VIDEO/PHOTOS: A massive fire broke out this morning at the long vacant former Casket Building on North River Street, destroying what was left of the building just as the town planned to have it be part of the new transit system through the Thompsonville section and as it also sought to have the site added to the National Register of Historic Places. According to Town Manager Christopher Bromson's Facebook page, the third alarm fire was reported at 6:14 a.m. and caused a partial collapse of the building, which is located at 33 N. River St. and is owned by the town. Firefighters from the town's five fire departments battled the blaze, assisted by firefighters from surrounding departments. The State Historic Preservation Office was scheduled to vote Friday on the town's nomination to have the former factory listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  

PHOTOS: The Chambersburg Fire Department dates back to 1780. At the time, to extinguish fires there was a bucket brigade, a group of personnel that threw water on the flames. It often wasn't very effective, as fires usually already spread too much to be subdued. It was during the early 1800s that hand-drawn apparatus was being used to manually pump water through the fire hose, directed by the nozzle man. It was an improvement in conquering the fire. Some of the other equipment used during those days were hand-drawn hose reels to convey the fire hose to the scene of the alarm; the hand-drawn hook and ladder, which was used to transport ground ladders of different lengths; as well as axes, buckets, and other hand tools used in firefighting. The next huge step for apparatus in the department was the introduction of the horse-drawn steam fire engine. The first horse-drawn steamer for the department arrived in Chambersburg in 1871 and was used by the Friendship Fire Company No. 1.  

Some first responders are coordinating their own effort to help curb street violence from the recent rash of attacks on Asians in San Francisco. The latest incident that left an Asian victim injured in a violent robbery where she was dragged behind the suspect vehicle has given the group of former and current firefighters another reason to respond. "We are going to be there in numbers and in strength and do what we need to do to defend these people," said retired San Francisco Fire Department Fire Marshal Paul Chin. "We know the police officers can't be everywhere. We wish," said John Choy of the San Francisco Fire Department. San Francisco Police and the Sheriff guided the group of off-duty firefighters as they patrolled the streets of Chinatown for the first time Tuesday.  

A 3-digit phone number — 988 — for suicide prevention and mental health crisis assistance that the Federal Communications Commission approved for nationwide use in July 2020 is being rolled out in some parts of the country beginning April 24, 2021. The 910 prefixes are currently the only North Carolina numbers impacted by the April 24 rollout. Once active, people will be able to dial 988 to seek help in the same way they can call 911 for emergency services. This could be a life saver for many of the one in five adults who experience mental illness every year. It could also help people dealing with substance abuse disorder or addiction. According to the FCC, since 2008, suicide has ranked as the tenth leading cause of death in the United States. For the new 3-digit phone number to become active, states have to implement 10-digit (versus 7-digit) local dialing first.