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

Local hero honored for saving retired Chicago firefighter

VIDEO: A firefighter, accustomed to saving lives, found himself in need of rescue when he collapsed and nearly died last October. George Ma’Ayteh was in the process of looking at furniture at a Northwest Side apartment to be purchased via Facebook Marketplace when he suddenly fell over. His boss, Paula Anast, was with him and got on the phone with Fire Communications Operator Amanda Garr, who, remaining composed and focused, guided Anast through the steps of CPR over the phone, effectively coaching her in the lifesaving procedure. Recalling the harrowing incident, Anast described Ma’Ayteh as appearing "dead." Garr's expertise proved invaluable as she skillfully directed Anast in administering chest compressions until paramedics arrived.
WFLD-TV FOX 32 Chicago

Effingham Retired Volunteer Firefighters Association Unveils Statue Commemorating 75th Anniversary Of St. Anthony Hospital Fire

HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital leaders and colleagues, Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, city officials, retired firefighters and community members joined together on April 14 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the St. Anthony Hospital fire with a special event. The ceremony included the unveiling of a statue of a nurse holding a baby commissioned by the Effingham Retired Volunteer Firefighters Association (ERVFA) to memorialize the victims of the fire, and honor those who bravely fought the fire as well as those who helped raise funds to rebuild the hospital afterwards. The statue’s home is near the hospital’s healing garden by the Prairie Heart Institute entrance on Maple Street. Following the unveiling ceremony, the statue was blessed by Father Adam Prichard, Hospital Chaplain.
Effingham Radio