PHOTOS: Around 12:45 am on Wednesday July 10, 2024, Carbondale Fire Department responded to a structure fire at 1104 North Robert A Stallings Avenue. When firefighters arrived on scene they were met with heavy smoke and fire. Murphysboro Fire Department also responded to provide mutual aide. Firefighters were able to get the fire under control within about 20 minutes but remained on scene until around 5:05 am for observation. According to Carbondale Fire Department no one was home at the time the fire broke out, except for the family dog who perished in the fire. Several units responded to provide aide including Jackson County Ambulance District and Carbondale Police Department. No other injuries were reported at this time. It's unknown how the fire started at this time.  

Mount Prospect's new Fire Station 11 is open for business. Firefighters flipped the switch at 8:45 a.m. Thursday at the former Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District headquarters at 1415 E. Algonquin Road. The first call came at 10:17 a.m. It was a non-emergency response for an activated carbon monoxide detector in the 600 block of Pickwick Court. Thursday's opening was the culmination of a long process of wrangling and litigation between the village and the rural fire district board. "It has been a long journey," Fire Chief John Dolan said. "We never tried to get ahead of ourselves. We always tried to prepare for not only the known, but the unknown. Our transition committee did a great job, coming up with all the possible scenarios." Annexations and dwindling tax revenues forced the rural fire district to cease fire and emergency services in October.  

PHOTOS: A massive four-alarm fire destroyed an apartment building in Philadelphia's Rhawnhurst neighborhood. The call came in around 9:24 p.m. Thursday for flames showing from the roof of the property located on the 7400 block of Roosevelt Blvd., just north of Cottman Avenue. "On arrival companies found heavy smoke conditions emanating from the fourth floor. Companies went into service with an interior check to locate and find a fire while simultaneously looking for any occupants and making sure they were removed safely," said Fire Commissioner Jeffrey Thompson. The fire reached four alarms before it was brought under control just after midnight. DeVona MacFarland, who was preparing for a family reunion in South Carolina, was in the shower when the alarm sounded.  

VIDEO: Southern Manatee Fire & Rescue is the first in the country to use a one-of-a-kind piece of equipment that aids in emergencies. In collaboration with NASA and the company Squishy Robotics, the robot device is designed to reduce response time and keep first responders safe. The co-founder of Squishy Robotics says the robot was initially intended for planetary exploration, but an alternative use was found. "It provides a rapid initial assessment and a better understanding of a situation before they enter," said Deniz Dogruer, the co-founder of Squishy robotics. Rich Gatanis, a HAZMAT technician with the department, has had the chance to see the device in person. "I'm checking all the equipment, making sure it's in working order every day. We have to put hands on everything," the 20-year firefighter said.  

VIDEO: Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill on Thursday aimed at getting dangerous lithium-ion batteries off the streets and out of homes. According to FDNY data, this year alone in the city there have been 110 investigations connected to lithium-ion battery fires that resulted in 50 injuries and one death. Hochul, who was joined by FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh and other city and state leaders, put pen to paper and turned eight pieces of legislation into law. "These batteries don't catch on fire like kindling. They explode like a grenade," Hochul said. "Greedy manufacturers put profit over safety and flood the market with cheap, malfunctioning batteries. Here in New York, that ends today." The legislation prohibits the sale of batteries not up to manufacturing standards, requires retailers to provide manuals for the batteries and requires training materials for first responders for incidents involving the batteries.  

VIDEO: A firefighter in Powell County has been put on administrative leave after a social media post circulated showing him hanging out of the window of a car. The Clay City Fire Department shared this photo from someone in Estill County. It shows a man hanging out of the window of a moving car they say almost hit one person. Fire officials say the behavior is not tolerated, and further disciplinary action has been taken. The Powell County judge-executive says the incident jeopardized everyone's safety. "He could've lost balance, fell out of the car, and according to the witness, they were at a high rate of speed. It could've caused somebody else to wreck by coming up on it and seeing somebody hanging out of the window driver's attention. They can run off the road, or they could've hit head-on or anything like that," said Powell County Judge-Executive Eddie Barnes.  

PHOTOS: Her name was "Smokey," and she belonged to the firemen of Companies 1 and 2 at the fire station at Webster and Ford streets during the 1930s and ‘40s. On Memorial Day 1935, a stray 3-month-old puppy showed up at the station, tired and thirsty. Capt. John Murphy couldn't resist helping her. "She sat up on her haunches, looked up at us and we looked back at her and in about three minutes, she took over the place," he said. She became not only their mascot, but also the boss and queen of the fire station. Smokey began every day by attending the morning roll call. Then she had her breakfast outside the kitchen door. Smokey wasn't permitted in the kitchen or bedrooms. If there was no official activity during the day, Smokey would play ball with the men on duty, guard the building and wait for food between naps under a truck.