The McHenry Township Fire Protection District and McHenry Police Department responded around 9:48 a.m. Wednesday to the 4900 block of West Oakwood Drive in McHenry for a report of a structure fire.

McHenry Township Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Ryan Mastandrea said multiple callers reported the fire and there were reports that an elderly couple was trapped and unable to evacuate.

Firefighters arrived and found a two-story, four-unit condo building with heavy flames and smoke showing, Mastandrea said.

Lake & McHenry County Scanner

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Firefighters were called at about 1:23 a.m. to a home in the 2500 block of Champaign Road after a report that the residence was filling with smoke.

Crews arrived to find smoke coming from the eaves of the single-story home. Firefighters searched the home and found the fire in the attic.

The department said additions to the home had created two ceilings and two roofs, leaving hidden spaces where the fire could spread and making it harder for crews to reach the flames.

Firefighters cut openings in the roof and pulled down sections of ceiling to access the attic. The fire was brought under control at about 2:29 a.m., and crews remained on scene to put out remaining hot spots.

No residents or firefighters were hurt. The American Red Cross assisted the two adults displaced by the fire.

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• Firefighter Parker Bartos
• Firefighter Connor Bridgewater
• Firefighter Logan Bridgewater
• Firefighter Tyler Connelly
• Firefighter Kennan Deane
• Firefighter Jacob Graham
• Firefighter Gabriel Jones
• Firefighter Jude Lowery
• Firefighter Bryce Nicholls
• Firefighter Andrew Nuttle
• Firefighter Justin Simpson
• Firefighter Cole Smith
• Firefighter Kendrick Williba
• Firefighter Daniel Zeigler

They were all honored at a recent celebration held at the Springfield Firefighters’ Lake Club, where Fire Chief Nick Zummo and Mayor Misty Buscher both recognized their accomplishments.

According to the fire department, all 14 firefighters have been assigned to the Springfield Fire Department’s Operations Division.

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The incident happened shortly after 4:30 p.m. near the railroad crossing at Center Street in Grayslake.

A woman was struck by a Canadian National freight train and pronounced dead at the scene, according to Grayslake fire officials.

As authorities investigate, railroad crossings at Center Street, Illinois Route 120 and Illinois Route 83 are blocked to traffic.

Motorists are encouraged to avoid the affected areas and use alternate routes through or around Grayslake, authorities said.

The woman’s identity has not been released, and authorities have not provided additional details about the circumstances leading up to the incident.

The investigation remains ongoing.

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The Moline Fire Department was dispatched to a reported structure fire in the area of 7th Street and 18th Avenue on Oct. 20 at about 10:11 a.m.

Multiple callers reported large flames and heavy smoke coming from the building. Fire crews received additional reports while responding that indicated that children were possibly trapped inside the structure.

The first fire unit arrived on the scene within five minutes of dispatch and found a large, two-story, mixed-use commercial building with residential apartments on the second floor. Firefighters reported heavy fire conditions at the rear of the structure, with significant smoke throughout the building.

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The semi-truck struck the fire apparatus and continued driving, leaving the scene. Fortunately, there are no injuries due to this incident.

This serves as an important reminder for all motorists to slow down, stay alert, and move over when approaching emergency scenes. Emergency responders work in close proximity to moving traffic, often in unpredictable and hazardous conditions.

A moment of inattention can have serious consequences for firefighters, law enforcement officers, other responders, and the motoring public.

Please reduce your speed, follow posted traffic control and emergency personnel instructions, and move over when it is safe to do so. Every emergency responder deserves to return home safely at the end of their shift.

WJOL-AM 1340 Joliet

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Signal Hill Fire Chief Tom Elliff told 5 On Your Side that fire crews were called at about 3:15 a.m. to Fuji Super Spa, located at 240 South 88th St. The building was fully engulfed when crews arrived, with fire visible at the rear of the structure.

Eight people were inside the building when the fire started. The fire chief said most got out safely, but one person remains unaccounted for.

Crews initially attempted to fight the fire from inside but were forced to retreat because of the flames, Elliff said. Firefighters took a defensive approach.

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According to the Joliet Fire Department, first responders were called to Herkimer St. for reports of a house on fire around 2:28 p.m. on Oct. 18. Upon arrival, firefighters found heavy smoke and flames coming from the first floor of the house.

The department also received word that someone was sleeping on the second-floor of the home. A crew was sent into the home and was able to rescue the woman, who was not hurt in the fire.

The resident then told firefighters that there were also multiple pets upstairs.

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At the Oct. 13 village council meeting, commissioners unanimously approved to change the process the village uses to hire firefighters to one that’s on a rolling basis. The passed ordinance approved the hiring of Standard & Associates, a consulting firm specializing in employee testing and assessment systems, to help the village for a trial period of about half a year.

Historically, the village has administered firefighter tests as needed, and the list of those who passed the test remained active for two years or until everyone on it was hired — then the village would host another test, since they can only hire from the list.

“The old way that we were doing it was not cost effective because there’s this national firefighter shortage,” Fire Chief Lindsey Hankus told the Review. Years ago, she said there would be dozens of firefighters on the list, but that’s not the case anymore.

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The Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District responded around 1:13 a.m. Wednesday to AFC Materials Group, 14 Walter Court in Lake in the Hills, for a report of a structure fire.

Firefighters arrived around 1:19 a.m. and found light smoke coming from the roof of the plant, Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District Fire Chief John Knebl said.

Crews investigated and found fire in and above a manufacturing machine inside the building, Knebl said.

Knebl said the business was occupied at the time of the fire because he believes it is a 24-hour operation.

Firefighters isolated and turned off the affected machine and the fire was declared out at 1:30 a.m.

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The fire department on Sunday released information about the fire at the John and Caroline Roush House and provided photos of the heavily damaged residence that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In the release, Fire Department Capt. Frank Friend said a neighbor reported the fire to 911 shortly after 4 a.m. Saturday.

He said the balloon-frame construction allowed the fire to spread through hidden spaces inside the walls from one floor to the next.

According to Friend, firefighters used thermal imaging cameras and opened walls and ceilings with hand tools while working in smoke and heat.

He said each firefighter used three or four breathing air cylinders to work in smoky conditions, with each cylinder lasting about 20 minutes.

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On Saturday, an honorary street sign was unveiled, paying tribute to fallen Chicago Fire Department firefighter Jermaine Pelt, killed on April 4, 2023.

Pelt died of carbon monoxide toxicity from the inhalation of smoke and soot while battling an extra-alarm fire on the 12000 block of South Wallace Street in the West Pullman neighborhood.

A section of South Morgan Street outside Engine Company 115, where Pelt served, is now designated as “Honorary Jermaine A. Pelt Way.”

Pelt’s brothers and sisters on the department, his family, and members of the community came together for an emotional ceremony honoring his life and legacy.

“Every person who passes that sign will see his name and hopefully they will pause and ask who he was. They will learn that Jermaine was a Chicago firefighter who gave his life in service to others,” Battalion Chief Gerald Nichols said. “They will learn that behind the uniform was a son, a father, a family member, a friend, a colleague, and a human being whose life mattered deeply to the people who knew and loved him.”

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