Peoria firefighters demonstrate how they fight fires

VIDEO: The Peoria Fire Department showed the public how they tackle fires during their third live burn demonstration in April. More than 30 attendees, mostly insurance adjusters, participated in the live burn demonstration at the Peoria Fire Academy in Peoria. “The important thing they will take away from it is how fast a fire grows or doesn’t grow. And how does it grow with extra ventilation, with no ventilation and things like that,” said Brad Pierson, arson investigator at Peoria Fire Department. Pierson said fires double in size every minute, then keep compounding. To determine the cause of the fire, investigators look at the makeup of the house or car, location, weather, time of day, videos and fire patterns. “Everything leaves a pattern that burns. Then we can look at that and determine the area of origin,” he said.
WMBD-TV CBS 31 Peoria

Litchfield Fire Department Receives Grant

Litchfield gained a significant boost in emergency response capabilities as the Litchfield Fire Department has been awarded a grant from the Illinois State Fire Marshal. The grant, totaling $19,811, is earmarked for the acquisition of essential rescue equipment. The funds will be utilized to receive Turtle Plastic Cribbing and the Apex Deluxe 4-point Rescue Jack System, both are important tools that enhance the department's capacity to handle complex rescue scenarios efficiently and safely. Captain David Rogers played a large role in securing the grant, investing considerable effort and expertise in the application process. His dedication and strategic approach have been instrumental in guiding the competitive grant landscape and securing this vital funding for the department.
Taylorville Daily News

Elderly man rescued from Rockford house fire

An elderly man is in the hospital after a house fire Monday afternoon. First responders were called to the 300 block of Howard Avenue around 4:30 p.m. for a house fire where an elderly man was trapped on the second floor. When firefighters got to the scene, they found an elderly man hanging out the second floor window with smoke billowing out behind him. Rockford firefighters used a ladder truck to rescue the man and get him to the hospital. The man's condition is unknown at this time. The Rockford Fire Department says the fire caused around $25,000 in damage and are still investigating how the fire started.
WREX-TV NBC 13 Rockford

Fire damages three homes in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood

VIDEO: The Office of Fire Investigation is searching for clues that may point to what caused a fire in Englewood, damaging three homes. The fire broke out at a home near 64th and South Carpenter Street around 3:00 a.m. Saturday morning. The man who lives there was not home. Upon arrival, firefighters found flames coming from the roof of home which then spread to the house next door. The house on the other side was also at risk. Firefighters searched for anyone who may have been in the home. The Battalion chief said the main challenge of the fire was the cathedral-style home, which allows the fire to race straight up with nothing to stop it. It took crews an hour to put out the fire. A family living next door was able to escape with the help of their service dog.
WGN-TV 9 Chicago

Kewanee Firefighters help rescue dog from well

PHOTO: Kewanee Firefighters got an unusual call early Friday morning: They had to use their rope rescue skills and put it to the test when both stations responded to the call and worked together to rescue a 2-year-old pit bull from a cold well in Kewanee. “I looked down the hole, and I realized we didn’t have a small puppy,” said Lt. Joe Rediger, a Kewanee firefighter. “We had an 80-pound pit bull down there, and realized it was going to be a little more intense than we thought it might be.” Kewanee crews hurried to a house call involving Gypsy, a 2-year-old pit bull, on Friday morning. She was stuck in a well that only very few people could fit in. Luckily, the Kewanee Fire Department had just the right man for the job. “The biggest thing that was going through my head was how are we going to do this safely and efficiently,” said Kewanee Firefighter Anthony Rushing.
WMBD-TV CBS 31 Peoria