One person was killed in an extra-alarm fire in the Logan Square neighborhood Tuesday morning, the Chicago Fire Department said. The fire department received a call at about 5:46 a.m. about the in the 1800-block of North Sawyer Avenue. One person in the fire was killed. Authorities have not provided further information on the victim. Neighbors said the person who died in the fire was a man in his 70s who appeared to live alone. He was found on the second floor. Fire officials say efforts to rescue him and put out the flames were complicated because of what they say was a hoarding situation inside the home. Firefighters said stacks and stacks of items were piled up inside the home and could be seen through the windows. The victim was found on the building's second floor.  

A car was destroyed by fire early Tuesday evening as Peoria firefighters worked to prevent flames from spreading to a house near the coroner of West Wiswall and South Laramie Streets. A person who lived at the home in the 3000 block of West Wiswall suffered minor burns and was taken to a local hospital, the fire department said in the news release. Fire crews were called about 5:50 p.m., and found the car fully involved. The car is considered a total loss, while there was damage to the exterior of the home. Damage is estimated at $20,000. The fire department is investigating the cause.  

School leaders and firefighters are reassuring parents that their students are safe as they investigate an issue with an HVAC unit at Central Junior High School. According to the school, junior high students were evacuated to the Frankfort Intermediate School (FIS) gymnasium shortly after 8:30 a.m. as firefighters responded. School leaders sent out an alert to parents stating there was a smoke issue with the ventilation system and students would be dismissed early to their parents. Students could be picked up at the FIS office. Those who could not be picked will remain at FIS for the rest of the day. All other students would remain in session. In a text alert, West Frankfort Fire Chief Derek Sailliez stated they were investigating the issue and there was no threat to the safety of students.  

Quincy City Council wants to take three requirements out of its building codes that would all have to do with fire safety. The change would affect homeowners and developers who build new, one and two-family homes. Quincy Fire Chief Bernard Vahlkamp said building materials for newer homes don't hold up well in a fire. "Because those materials tend to fail under fire loads and it's a life safety aspect as far as occupants in the house," Vahlkamp said. This affects firefighters' safety during rescues and your safety when trying to escape, "Which is our main concern," Vahlkamp said. Vahlkamp said building codes that include sprinkler systems, fire protection floors and self-closing doors connecting the garage to the house, make new homes safer, but seven aldermen said no to requiring them.  

VIDEO: Three people—including a 16-year-old girl—were injured in an explosion involving several homes and a ruptured gas line Tuesday in the Southwest Baltimore neighborhood of Pigtown. BGE said in a statement that it completed upgrades in October to the gas main that services the same site as the explosion. Following the explosion, BGE turned off services and stayed onsite to assist Baltimore City first responders. BGE said in a follow-up email to WJZ that the last time one of its employees had been at the site of the explosion was in early November. "There have not been any BGE crews in that area since a technician turned on electric service to one of the homes in the 1100 block on November 3," a spokesperson for BGE said. Chopper 13 flew over the scene on Bayard Street where a home was completely demolished.  

VIDEO: The young boy saved from a burning apartment in Oklahoma City recently met his rescuers. The Oklahoma City Fire Department posted on its YouTube page a video of the 4-year-old boy meeting the firefighters who saved him from the massive fire at Cape Cod Condominiums on Oct. 22. The OKCFD told News 9 that a cigarette or cigar caused the fire outside the apartment complex, which then spread to the building. Ten units were damaged. Meanwhile, the fire surrounded the boy in the living room. "I basically told the recruit on the bag, I told him, 'Hey, you get the handline,' and I had him behind me kind of knocking down the fire as we made our way up the staircase," said TJ Shaw, an OKCFD firefighter, in the YouTube video. Crews had no time to waste. "My TIC (thermal imaging camera) came on just prior to me making contact with the child. That's why I was able to see him," said Maj. Jonathan Davis.  

VIDEO: One person is at a local trauma center after driving into a parked fire engine at a high rate speed early Tuesday morning in Stuart. First responders were working at a crash on Interstate 95 near mile marker 90 and the fire engine was parked at an angle to protect crews from passing drivers. A driver in the right lane slammed into the back of the engine at a high rate of speed, according to Martin County Fire Rescue. No firefighters were injured, but the driver was taken to a local trauma center. Fire rescue reminded drivers to "slow down and pay attention" when first responders are around, yield to emergency vehicles and move over when passing scenes on the shoulder.  

A Thanksgiving assist, courtesy of the Bucks organization. Tis the season for donating meals, and on Tuesday, the Bucks donated Thanksgiving meals to Milwaukee firefighters. Personnel from 29 firehouses came to Fiserv Forum to get their turkey dinners. The meals are donated by Gordon Food Service and prepared by Fiserv Forum Executive Chef Angel Otero and his staff. It's a welcome gift for firefighters, especially when good food is hard to come by on the holidays. "It makes it easier in the firehouse that day. A lot of stores are closed that day, so having this meal ready for us and we can throw it in the oven and enjoy it throughout the day," said Lorenzo Williams of the Milwaukee Fire Department. These meals were by no means "paltry."  

Thanksgiving may be a day for feasting with family and friends. But it also proves to be a particularly dangerous occasion, especially because of cooking-related accidents. One of the key culprits? The increasingly popular ritual of frying your holiday turkey. The Insurance Information Institute reports that "Thanksgiving Day is the peak day for fires caused by cooking," with roughly 1,000 home fires occurring on the holiday annually. It also notes that fires related to turkey fryers are responsible for five deaths, 60 injuries and more than $15 million in property damage each year. Obviously, people can fry a turkey at any time of the year, but Thanksgiving has naturally become a big occasion to utilize this cooking method. The method has its roots in Cajun country, but it started spreading across the country in the mid-'90s and became particularly connected with Thanksgiving, according to a historical account by Vogue.