VIDEO: In the early hours of April 17, 2023, the Peoria fire department responded to a house fire on West Stephen Drive in Northwest Peoria. 91-year-old Louise Johnson fell unconscious, leaving her trapped in the blaze. Capt. Nick Hansen and firefighter Tobi Roderick then sprung into action and rescued the woman from her house, saving her life. Tuesday, they were honored by the Illinois State Fire Marshal, receiving the Firefighting Medal of Valor. "A lot of our other brothers and sisters would have done the same. I just had to be the one that was there. I'm glad I was the one that got to experience it. I'm just really honored to be the one up here, just right place, right time," said Hansen. Their rapid rescue, tactical skills and zero hesitation in risking their own life is exactly what they've trained for.  

VIDEO: Two Danville firefighters are recovering from injuries they sustained while battling a house fire on Monday, the second of the day for the Danville Fire Department. The fire happened close to the dead end of Short Street at 4:30 p.m. Officials with the Danville Fire Department said that when firefighters arrived, they found the rear of a one-story home fully engulfed, with flames extending 20 feet into the air. While en route, officials said, the firefighters received reports that someone might still be inside. Facing high heat and intense fire, firefighters searched the parts of the home that were not yet on fire. No one was found. Firefighters were able to bring the fire under control using multiple hose lines, despite high winds hampering their efforts. Ameren also assisted by removing a live power line that was connected to the home.  

PHOTOS: In a weekend packed with empowerment and education, eight young women seized the opportunity to step into the world of firefighting. The Badd Axe Ladies job-shadowing program was not just about teaching skills, but also about igniting passion and showing that gender is no barrier to the ability to provide service. Over four days, students from SIU and local high schools got to participate in a number of activities at the Carbondale Fire Department. Courtney Looft, a firefighter and a co-organizer of the event, said, "The weekend is a two day event where they're actually getting hands-on experience to do all the different types of skills. They learn forcible entry, hose management, search techniques and then the big event is they actually get to see fire behavior and how it develops and interacts with different elements."  

PHOTOS: Massive flames could be seen shooting from an abandoned Cleveland church early Thursday morning. The building was fully engulfed as SkyFOX was over the scene shortly before 7:30 a.m. The church, located near the corner of E. 91st Street and Miles Park, has been identified as the former Pentecostal Determine Church of God. According to the Cuyahoga County Auditor's website, the church was built in 1872. Fire officials said the building is vacant and no injuries were reported. Fire officials also said the building is four stories tall and there was concern walls could collapse. Fire crews battled the blaze from the outside and said they would only enter the building if they believed someone was inside. Officials noted the roof of the church had previously collapsed before the fire started, and there was other prior structural damage to the building as well.  

A fake firefighter with a garden hose refused to leave the scene of a deadly blaze in North Carolina, officials told news outlets. Early March 27, the Morganton Department of Public Safety said its crews were called to the fire and spotted a 37-year-old man wearing a New York City Fire Department outfit. "When firefighters first arrived, a neighbor was on-scene, dressed in FDNY turnout gear and attempting to put out the fire with a garden hose," police wrote in a news release. "Morganton firefighters began to take over suppression efforts; however, the male refused to vacate the property." The neighbor also is accused of interfering as crews tried to start battling the fire, which had "fully engulfed" the home. He was taken into custody "after multiple commands," according to the public safety department.  

VIDEO: This week the United Soybean Board announced the first and only soybased fire suppressant had been certified safe for sale. But what do firefighters think about the new product? Firefighters from across the U.S. participated in a fire demonstration at the Dalton, Georgia, fire department looking at the effectiveness of Soyfoam. A Farm to Fire demo allowed firefighters to see first-hand how it performed with different types of fires at 1% and 3% concentrations. That included farmer and firefighter Jeff King of Coryden, Kentucky. "I was impressed with this. The knockdown, ability to knock down the fire. We weren't' able to relight it which was very impressive." South Dakota farmer and Roscoe firefighter Andy Weisser also tested the product and is excited that it's less corrosive than conventional foams.  

PHOTOS: When there's a problem to solve, you can count on first responders to come to the rescue. So when two Fishers firefighters saw some old fire hose on the bay floor, set to travel to a landfill, they put their helmets together to come up with a creative solution. Rob Demlow has been fighting fires in his Fishers community for 19 years. "The first airway that I held open, it was almost like, I knew where I was supposed to be," said Demlow. "It was almost like a God moment." His passion for serving his community is on display each time an alarm sounds when he is on duty. "My job and my place was kind of set at that point," Demlow said. For his longtime friend and firefighting brother, Scott Carr, being a firefighter was in his blood. He has served his Fishers neighbors with pride for the past 24 years.