A mother and two children were taken to the hospital on Thursday, after Chicago firefighters extinguished a smoky extra-alarm fire at a high-rise apartment building in the South Shore neighborhood. The fire started around 11 a.m. at a high-rise at 7145 S. Cyril Ct, causing heavy smoke inside the building. The building is more than 100 years old, and contains 48 units. Fire Department officials said the fire was contained to the 9th floor, and was extinguished by about 11:45 a.m. Firefighters had to use a fire escape to attack the fire. Fire Department officials said a mother and two children who sheltered in place on the 13th floor during the fire later sought treatment for smoke inhalation, and were being taken to Jackson Hospital & Medical Center in good condition.  

A fire was reported Thursday in a Springfield building that houses state and federal property, responders said. Springfield firefighters responded at around 8 a.m. to the 1900 block of 10 1/2 Street in Springfield. They found smoke coming from the roof and discovered a fire in a room located in the center of the building. An upgraded response, which involved approximately 12 rigs, was sent due to the size of the building. Firefighters quickly contained the fire, but the area was sill filled with smoke. A mobile ventilation unit (MVU) was used to push out the smoke, but that process took more than an hour. There were no injuries. The fire is under investigation by metro investigations personnel.  

A 22-year-old man is in serious condition Wednesday afternoon after his bicycle was struck by a sports utility vehicle near a busy west side intersection in Joliet. The collision happened at 1:15 p.m. along Larkin Avenue near Black Road. Joliet Fire Chief Greg Blaskey told Joliet Patch the young man was found unconscious on the pavement when firefighter/paramedics arrived at the crash scene. The Joliet Fire Department's Ambulance 5 rushed the man to the AMITA Health Saint Joseph Medical Center several blocks away. His condition was serious, the chief said. By 2:30 p.m. several Joliet police officers were busy investigating the circumstances of the wreck and interviewing the motorist who collided with the injured bicyclist.  

VIDEO: The bravery of 12 Calumet City firefighters and four police officers was honored Thursday. They rescued people trapped in a burning apartment building, on the upper floors. They were honored by the city Thursday night. One woman who lived there, and who they rescued, said she never knew fear like that before. The rescuers received the Unit Citation Award from the mayor and city council.  

A garbage truck caught fire and became well-engulfed in flames Tuesday morning near Woodstock, causing Route 120 to be shut down in both directions, officials said. The Woodstock Fire Rescue District responded around 11:05 a.m. Tuesday to the 8300 block of Route 120 in unincorporated Woodstock for a report of a vehicle on fire. Firefighters arrived on the scene and found a garbage truck fully engulfed in flames in the westbound lane of Route 120. A spokesperson for the fire district said the fire was not deemed under control for at least 30 minutes "due to the structural complexity of the commercial vehicle." The Wonder Lake Fire Protection District was called to the scene to assist. Fire crews used both water and foam to extinguish the bulk of the fire.  

The Kingsport Fire Department responded to reports of a fire on the 1000 block of Dorothy Street early Friday morning. Responders arrived to the scene at 12:05 a.m., where they discovered a home engulfed in flames. The home was a total loss, according to officials. No injuries were reported, and the department continues to investigate the cause of the fire.  

VIDEO: Resort City firefighters say if a building collapse similar to the June disaster in Surfside, Florida were to happen here, they're now better prepared to respond. In the last six weeks, the Virginia Beach Fire Department added two identical vehicles, called rescue companies, to its fleet. The vehicles are designed to respond to fire entrapments, vehicle entrapments, water rescues and building collapses, among other emergencies. "It's the Swiss Army knife of vehicles," said Capt. Jon Rigolo, a 38-year veteran of the department who works on the Technical Rescue team at Fire Station 7, near the Virginia Beach Town Center. Also described as a "big toolbox," Capt. Rigolo says the roughly $1 million vehicles were specifically designed with Virginia Beach firefighters in mind, a process that took about two years.  

PHOTOS: Former Phoenix Fire Chief Alan Brunacini has influenced tens of thousands of firefighters around the world. A mural painted on the side of a building in downtown Phoenix on Osborn Road just before 7th Street will honor the life and legacy of Brunacini, who served as the city's fire chief from 1978 to 2006. The mural features a firefighter wearing bright yellow turnouts working on a fire hydrant with hundreds of feet of yellow fire hose painted along the base of the building. The hose leads to the "Charlie" side of the building, which is fire lingo for the back of the structure. That's where you get a full visual of the legacy and personality of the man who was known for firefighter safety and being nice.  

VIDEO: It may look like a lot of work, but several firefighters with Orange County Fire Rescue said it takes a couple of steps when it comes to using ropes during a high-angle rescue call. On Thursday, Orange County Fire Rescue held a special operations training at the Orange County Convention Center to learn how to use a new rope that allows them to make knots faster and easier during an emergency. "We had larger diameter rope, which was heavier and harder to tie knots, so we are going to a smaller rope it's just as strong as the older ropes, so it just makes it easier. It's lighter to carry," said Lt. Ralph Astarita with OCFR Special Operations. Astarita said they have a total of 330 rope techs within the fire department but only 69 are climbers.  

VIDEO: While COVID-19 cases in the United States have been rising in almost every state over the past week, a handful have been driving the bulk of the nationwide surge. White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients told reporters Thursday the country has "fundamentally changed the course of this pandemic" and the threat of serious disease and death now is to the unvaccinated. He said counties with the highest case rates have significantly lower vaccination rates than other areas. And a few states have seen many of the new cases. "This week, just three states Florida, Texas and Missouri, three states with lower vaccination rates accounted for 40 percent of all cases nationwide," Zients said at a White House news conference.