Emergency crews and law enforcement said two people suffer grave injuries Tuesday evening, after their home exploded in Freeport just after 7 p.m. The Stephenson County Sheriff's Office said the couple, believed to own the home near U.S. Route 20 and Harlem Center Road, was inside when it exploded. They were helped out of the house by a neighbor and passerby before firefighters arrived on scene, but not before sustaining serious injuries from the explosion. The two were airlifted by helicopter to OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, after they were initially flown to FHN. Their identities are currently being withheld at this time while authorities notify family members. The State Fire Marshall's Office is still investigating the exact cause of the explosion.  

The Office of the State Fire Marshal is reminding college students this month to practice fire safety for Campus Fire Safety Month. According to the National Fire Prevention Association, fires are most common in college dormitories in September and October. They are also the most common during the evening between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. Since 2000, seven Illinois college students have died from a fire. Acting State Fire Marshal Dale Simpson said it's important for students to ensure they are living in spaces with fire safety equipment, as he recognizes many students have not fire safety education since elementary school. "This is the first time many students are living away from home," Simpson said. "Meaning it's more important than ever for them to understand how to create a fire safety escape plan and practice that plan."  

The Springfield Police Department responded to a call about a disturbance and a possible structure fire. Police say that Mark N. Crites Jr. was in a disturbance with his brother. We're told that Crites poured gasoline throughout the house and set it on fire. Officials say that Crites fled the scene on foot before police arrived. Police say they could not locate him during a search for him. There were no injuries reported to any of the family members. An arrest warrant was obtained for Crites and he was located and taken into custody by Gillespie Police Department on September 12.  

Similar to past years, the Batavia Fire Department will once again participate in the Fill the Boot fundraiser. Each Friday night starting Sept. 16, firefighters will stand at the intersection of Prairie and Wilson streets collecting donations for the nationwide fundraiser raising money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The fundraiser will continue until Sept. 30. If the final Friday gets rained out, Oct. 7 is planned as the rain date, officials said. "For 67 years, when not fighting fires, members of the International Association of Fire Fighters have been fighting another ongoing threat — muscular dystrophy, a disease that includes more than 40 neuromuscular disorders," reads the fundraiser's website. "Fire fighters and MDA are counting on your support through our virtual Fill the Boot campaign during these challenging times."  

An overnight fire at the Randolph Golf Complex destroyed 91 golf carts and other equipment in a blaze that the Tucson Fire Department responded to around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday. A solar panel structure above parked golf carts was on fire when firefighters arrived, said Tucson Fire Public Information Officer Michael Colaianni, and the fire was put out at about 2:45 a.m. No one was injured in the fire, and the cause is under investigation. Robb Palmgren, the regional general manager for Tucson City Golf, said the golf course at 600 S. Alvernon Way lost 91 golf carts, four phat scooters and a utility vehicle in addition to the destruction of the solar panel structure. The golf course has a total of 150 golf carts. Palmgren said the golf course is open for walking only.  

PHOTO: It was last month when retired Odessa Firefighter John Taylor stumbled across an old, unique photo. It was a group photo taken in 1927 of the first fire engine along with the first 13 volunteer firefighters in Odessa. Taylor, who has been researching the history of Odessa Fire and Rescue since the 80s, was stunned when he came across the photo on the website Traces of Texas. "I was excited," Taylor said. "That's the first clear image." Now, Taylor hopes to identify all 13 men in that photo. He has five of them identified so far but is hoping the public can help out with the remaining eight. He has the names but he needs to know which name goes to which face. "I'm trying to get all the guys identified," Taylor said.  

In much of America, if you call an ambulance, you get a bill afterwards. But in rural New York state, where a lot of emergency services are bundled in with fire departments, that often doesn't happen. Volunteer fire departments haven't been allowed to charge for ambulance service. But that means they've had to eat the cost. A new bill, passed along with the NY State budget this summer, changes that. It's called the EMS Cost Recovery Act and was sponsored by Assemblyman Billy Jones. A version of this legislation has been in the works for decades, and many local fire departments are breathing a sigh of relief. In New York, fire departments provide EMS coverage to nearly half of the state. You'll find about 180 fire departments across the North Country. The vast majority of them are volunteer — people from the community get trained and fight fires in their community.  

VIDEO: Volunteer firefighters were focused as they fought furious flames at the Chevron Pascagoula Refinery's volunteer firefighter training. Nicole Walters and John Ford with the East Jackson Volunteer Fire Department said they came to the training to become more prepared. "We're used to interior firefighting, and this right here is something different, something we're looking forward to. Any kind of fire training we look forward to, especially as volunteers. We try to soak it up as much as we can," Ford said. Officials said the training included vehicle extraction, smoke house rescue training and putting out gas pump and fuel tank flames. Emergency Services Manager Kaci Diantoniis said the company is happy offer the free, specialized training.  

PHOTO: To pay for its new emergency response all-terrain vehicle, the Fire Department sorted and recycled about 217,000 cans donated by community members. The Lanesborough Fireman's Association bought the $15,000 vehicle, a Can-Am Outlander Max XT, entirely with money from its Cans for Lives program, which helps fund the purchase of emergency equipment and vehicles. After sorting, members bring the cans to a facility in Vermont, getting 7 cents for each one. "We've been able to, essentially, partner with the citizens of the town to help bring this to life for us," said Glen Storie, president of the Lanesborough Fireman's Association. "Their effort to bring the cans here that they collect all year long, and then the effort the membership here puts in to collecting them, sorting them."