Three townhouses were possibly destroyed when a fire began Tuesday in Springfield, Springfield Fire Chief Brandon Blough said. The Springfield Firefighters Local 37 union said firefighters responded Tuesday afternoon to a garage fire on Country Place. Just before 3:30 p.m., they said the flames had spread to a three townhouse unit. Crews attacked the garage fire and then made entry to check the residence. A hydrant was used in the response. At about 3:45 p.m., crews requested a response from two additional engine companies. After 4 p.m., more additional crews were asked to respond to the second floor in order to pull the ceiling.  

Firefighters said a barn caught fire after a controlled burn ended up out of control in Blue Mound. The Blue Mound Fire Department said responders went to the fire location and struck a second alarm for tankers and manpower. The barn could not be saved as it was fully developed when responders arrived. Crews said they were able to save a house 50 feet away from the fire. Mutual aid departments who helped in this fire response were thanked for their efforts. Those who assisted included the South Macon Fire Department, the South Wheatland Fire Protection District, and Stonington and Niantic crews.  

Freeport firefighters were honored Monday for their efforts in rescuing a man from an apartment fire in March. Firefighters Lt. Matt Kile, Brad Tunak, and Mike Compton were recognized at the City Council meeting on May 16th. On March 6th, the team arrived at the Hosmer Apartments, at 601 N Walnut Avenue, and found an unresponsive man on the floor and a fire in the kitchen area in a unit on the 14th floor. The firemen removed the victim to the hallway and put the fire out. The victim was initially taken to FHN and then transferred to Rockford for severe smoke inhalation, but has since recovered.  

A local vocational school is getting a new educational toy. Springfield Fire Department donated a fire truck to the Capital Area Career Center on Tuesday. Since the 1994 Luverne can't be used to respond to fire calls anymore it will now be used as a teaching tool. Springfield Fire Chief Brandon Blough says today's donation is a win-win for everyone involved. "It's was a really good opportunity for them to get a piece of equipment that students can learn a lot from and an opportunity for us to give back to the community and hopefully provide something that we may end up having one of these students on our Springfield Fire Department someday," said Springfield Fire Chief Brandon Blough.  

A Peoria home will be demolished Wednesday after an early morning fire. Peoria Firefighters responded to Sptiznagle Avenue and North East Madison Avenue just before 2:40 a.m. When first responders arrived, they found a two-story home with the entire first floor engulfed in flames. Crews worked to knock the fire out and put the flames they found on the second floor. The occupants escaped before crews arrived and no one was injured. A Peoria fire investigator called to the scene determined the cause of the fire to be accidental. Building code enforcement was also called in and deemed the home a total loss. The home is set to be demolished.  

A crew of over 150 responded to a wind-driven fire at a pallet yard late Tuesday night in Phoenix. According to Phoenix Fire, crews arrived at the scene near 35th Avenue and Buckeye Road just after 10 p.m. on May 17 and immediately called for backup. When additional firefighters arrived, a surround and drown operation was established, "with elevated master streams and flowing big water to suppress the flames and keep them from extending to nearby businesses." The main body of the fire was controlled. Crews were still on scene Wednesday morning to extinguish hot spots. No injuries were reported. Investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire.  

Two local firefighter's unions made clear Tuesday that they do not support the Firefighter Safety Act because it "seems poised to unreasonably restrict" them from performing their duties. The Baltimore Fire Fighters Association and the Baltimore Fire Officers Association in a six-page letter to the Baltimore City Council described their grievances with the bill, which regulates the way firefighters respond when a vacant building is on fire. Councilwoman Danielle McCray (D-District 2) crafted the bill after three firefighters were killed on Jan. 24 after part of a vacant house that was on fire collapsed on them. A fourth firefighter—John McMaster—was buried amid the rubble but survived his injuries. "At the scene of a dwelling fire at 203-7 S. Stricker St., we tragically lost the lives of Lieutenant Kelsey Sadler, and Firefighter Kenneth Lacayo," the letter states.  

VIDEO: The Los Angeles Fire Department had a big day over the weekend after becoming the first fire department in the country to have an electric fire engine. The truck was unveiled Saturday morning outside the LAFD historical museum in Hollywood. It's been assigned to Station 82, and was custom-made by a company in Austria that builds firefighting tools and equipment. In addition to the zero emissions and quieter motor, the fire truck meets all national fire standards, and is smaller in width than standard fire trucks.  

Each year, major cities across the U.S. play host to a fundraiser of ascending proportions. The Fight for Air Climb raises money for lung-related research, aid and advocacy by challenging people to climb thousands of stairs. On May 21, Minnesotans will climb 4,380 steps in "the best set of stairs in the Twin Cities," at Allianz Field in St. Paul. It will be Ken Bence's 15th climb. As the Battalion Chief for the Golden Valley Fire Department, he takes on the added challenge of competing in full firefighter gear (that's 65 pounds of helmet, air tank, suit and boots). The New Hope man's contribution to the Minnesota Fight for Air Climb has been much more than climbing steps. Since his first climb in 2008, he's raised $75,000 for its backing organization, the American Lung Association.  

After a generous donation from Heath Consultants of Houston, Texas, the Sterling Heights Fire Department becomes the first in Michigan to utilize a new remote methane leak detector. This device will allow first responders to quickly scan common venting points within a building from a safe distance to determine if methane gas is present. "Many times, first responders are called to natural gas emergencies, and up until now, we've only had a way to detect for gases while inside what could be a potentially hazardous environment or in the correct flammable range to set off an explosion with just a spark," said Fire Chief Kevin Edmond. "This new device can be used to detect gases remotely, keeping our team safely away from potentially dangerous structures and situations."