Wildfire burned 60 acres near Lindenhurst neighborhoods as firefighters worked for nearly 2 hours to contain it

PHOTOS: Over a dozen fire departments were called to extinguish a wind-fueled wildfire that burned around 60 acres of land near two Lindenhurst neighborhoods Sunday afternoon. The Lake Villa Fire Protection District responded around 12:10 p.m. Sunday to the 1800 block of Prairie Ridge Circle in Lindenhurst for a report of a grass fire. Firefighters arrived and reported approximately a half-acre of wildland on fire in the field east of the Nature’s Ridge and Auburn Meadows subdivisions, according to fire department radio traffic. The wind caused the fire to spread and get larger. Firefighters worked to stop the fire from spreading to the houses on the east side of the subdivisions. Some residents even used their garden hoses to help crews contain the fire.
Lake & McHenry County Scanner

Gridley fire official speaks on dangers of falling into grain bin following rescue

VIDEO: It happens more than you think. Gridley Fire Chief Casey Knobloch said the 68-year-old farmer tried to break up corn stuck in the bin to load a truck, fell in, and sank into the center of the bin up to his neck. The man was taken to a hospital with compression injuries and was released Friday morning. Knobloch said any movement by the corn could have completely covered him. He said it was a complex rescue. “With a grain rescue tube, it’s pieces that are small enough to fit through the top hatch of a bin that they can slide together in a circumference around the individual,” Knobloch said. “The city of Pontiac arrived, and the city of Chenoa arrived with vacuum trucks and actually vacuumed out the corn around the individual.” A Purdue University report shows there were 42 grain entrapments in 2022, which resulted in 15 deaths.
WEEK-TV NBC/ABC/CW+ 25 PEORIA

John Giannelli departs as head of Hinsdale fire house

John Giannelli wanted his final shift with the Hinsdale Fire Department to feel like his first. "I found my old pillow and blanket," said the 33-year veteran of the force, who retired as chief on Friday. "I cooked dinner and stayed the night. Went on my last call. I made (the crew) breakfast. It brought back memories of how I started." It was a poignant conclusion to a career spent in the fire service. "It's all I've done since I was 18 years old," remarked Giannelli, who started in LaGrange Park before coming to Hinsdale in 1991. He rose through the ranks of lieutenant and captain, and in 2016 he was appointed to replace retiring chief Rick Ronovsky, who remains a good friend. Giannelli admitted stepping into the department's top role was a bit daunting, in part because he had not even done a tour as deputy chief.
The Hinsdalean

Champaign man airlifted to hospital after suffering burns from house fire

PHOTOS: A man was airlifted to the hospital after suffering from burns from a fire in Champaign on Thursday. At 3:02 p.m. the Champaign Fire Department responded to a fire in a single-family home in the 1300 block of Joanne Ln on Thursday. Once on the scene, fire crews reported heavy smoke and fire coming from the residence. The occupant was outside at the time the fire department arrived, suffering from serious burns. The cause of this fire has not been determined as investigators remain on the scene conducting their investigation. The occupant was treated on scene and AirLife was requested to intercept the ambulance to transport the victim to the hospital. There were no firefighter injuries reported.
WICS-TV ABC 20 Springfield

Emergency crews rescue victim from grain bin near Gridley

PHOTO: Emergency crews spent more than seven hours Thursday working to rescue someone who became trapped in a grain bin in southern Livingston County. Gridley fire and ambulance crews were called to the farm in rural Gridley around 12:10 p.m. for a victim who became trapped in the bin, said Gridley Fire Chief Casey Knobloch. Multiple emergency departments responded to the incident that was resolved at 7:55 p.m. when the person was extricated from the bin. Knobloch said the victim was in stable condition and taken to a local hospital. The MABAS (Mutual Aid Box Alarm System) Division 25 based in LaSalle joined in the nearly day-long rescue effort, according to a social media post from the Normal Fire Department [NFD].
WGLT-FM 89.1 Normal