Central Illinois is being recognized for a major contribution to Ukraine. As 25News' Morning Reporter Brett Brooks shows us, a classic fire truck is about to make the trip overseas, "this fire truck is the very first fire engine going to Ukraine from America and it was made in 1996 and holds 1,000 gallons of water." "This engine has been here since the very beginning in 1996. It started out at station one and now it's kind of a reserve piece of equipment for us." Marvin Roderick the Fire Chief for the Chillicothe Community Fire Protection District explains. In an effort to support the people of Ukraine in their conflict with Russia. This 1996 Ferra is now facing a new mission. Roderick says his team "loaded it [fire engine] up with a bunch of things we're not going to use but hopefully they'll be able to use. We have air packs, fire hose fittings, fire hoses, and things like that."  

Fire destroyed a 100-by-70-foot shed at the farm of Larry and Pam Apke in the Bishop Creek community Tuesday evening. Dieterich Fire Chief Ross Martin said the cause of the fire has not been determined, but there was fuel, implements and equipment, and hay stored in the building so, however it started, that was plenty to get the fire going. Dieterich firefighters were called to the scene at 6:15pm. The shed is one mile south of Bishop Creek Church, then a half-mile west. No one was injured, and there were no animals in the building. It took some time to put out the fire; excavators had to be brought in to peel the tin away to gain access to the hay. Firefighters finally cleared the scene about 9:30pm.  

Godfrey Fire Protection District firefighters responded at 8:54 a.m. Wednesday for a gas smell call at Evangelical School at 1212 West Homer Adams Parkway in Godfrey. Once they arrived, they discovered a gas leak in a mechanical area on the first floor. Students were already evacuated and were dismissed from school after the gas leak and picked up by designated individuals for each family. Ameren Illinois was called to the school along with a local heating and cooling expert. The Godfrey Fire Protection District turned the situation over to those two, Godfrey Fire Protection District Deputy Chief Dave Bellito said.  

The East Moline Fire Department responded around 1:10 p.m. Wednesday to a garage fire near the intersection of 3rd Avenue and 19th Street. According to Chief Robert DeFrance, the fire was contained in the garage and crews were able to put out the fire in about 10 minutes. No injuries were reported, according to DeFrance. There is some property damage, but the owner is insured. The cause of the fire appears to be a morning leaf burning, DeFrance told a TV6 crew on scene. The owner had burned some leaves in the morning and extinguished the fire, but it later rekindled and reached the exterior of the garage.  

A vacant home located near Trewyn Middle School in Peoria, caught fire early Thursday morning. Battalion Chief Jeff Hascall, of Peoria Fire Department, has confirmed the cause of the flames were Arson. The fire started around 3 a.m., 17 firefighters responded to reports of flames coming from 2701 West Fremont Street in Peoria. The fire was contained to the interior of the building and caused $20,000 in estimated damages. Nobody was located in or near the house, and no firefighters were injured in the process.  

PHOTOS: Bay District Schools is reporting an explosion that happened during the lighting of a traditional homecoming bonfire at A. Crawford Mosley High School. BDS officials said they are investigating the cause of the fire and they followed their customary safety protocols. "We know that many people who live close to A. Crawford Mosley High School probably heard a loud and disturbing noise a short time ago. Everyone is safe and no students were in danger at any time. While lighting our traditional Homecoming bonfire, something in the fire caused an explosion. Deputies and firefighters were already on hand, in line with our customary safety protocols, and so they immediately jumped in to ensure the fire remained contained. We are investigating the cause of the explosion because we did not deviate from our usual bonfire lighting procedures."  

VIDEO: For the last year, Suffolk Fire and Rescue has been training a new class of heroes. In that class is a one-of-a-kind recruit. When he graduates from training, there will be no other firefighter like him in Hampton Roads. In three weeks, Chris Heater will become a Suffolk firefighter. "I actually grew up watching Backdraft, so, I don't know... it was just always a calling," Chris said. At 33, Chris is the oldest member of his recruit class. "It makes it a little rougher trying to compete with the young guys." The trainees are put in challenging, and uncomfortable, situations. "We put them in confined spaces. We put them at heights where they have probably never been, 100 feet on a ladder," said Lieutenant Durand Coltrane, who oversees Suffolk Firefighter Recruit Training.  

Ventura County Fire Department's pump pod system now being adopted by other agencies for huge water savings during training. We're at Camarillo Airport, and at first glance, it looks like the scene of a fire. There are four Ventura County Fire trucks, hoses everywhere, and some firefighters pumping water. But, it's actually a training mission for some future fire department engineers, who drive and operate fire trucks. In the past, leaning how to operate trucks meant actually hooking up hoses to hydrants, and shooting out tens of thousands of gallons of water onto the ground. That's not practical during a drought. Ryan Burkett is an engineer with the Ventura County Fire Department, who is overseeing today's training project. He says the department came up with an idea.  

In December 2020, a Tompkins High School football player fought for his life in the intensive care unit after a devastating crash. Now, two years later, he is aiming to help others. Samuel "Sam" Mills was ejected from his vehicle on Dec. 26 after losing control and hitting a curb while driving home from his job at Chick-fil-A on Pin Oak Road. According to the Fort Bend Sheriff's Office, Mills' car flipped over at least twice. He was 17 years old at the time. "Whenever I saw a hard thing, I didn't run away from it; I ran towards it," Mills said. Mills' road to recovery wasn't easy in the slightest. He underwent physical therapy and speech therapy. The support of his loving family, the community, and God, he credits, is what helped him get through it.  

A unique property recently hit the market on the westside of Grand Rapids. The multi-unit property originally housed the Grand Rapids Fire Department Engine No. 8 back in the early 1900s. The home, located at 40 Lexington Ave. NW and listed for $899,999, is MLive's House of the Week.