A man suffered minor injuries and was taken to an area hospital after being plucked from the Illinois River by a crew on a Peoria Fire Department rescue boat. The man was near the bank on the Peoria side of the river and on a cement structure that was in the water. He was standing on that in waist-deep water, said Battalion Chief Jeff Hascall. But had he left that area, the water would have been over his head and there is some current in that area, the chief said. Firefighters were called shortly after 11:30 a.m. and after a Peoria police officer had seen him in the water. It was unclear how long the man was in the water. The crew on the boat was able to throw a rope to the man and put a life jacket on him. They then were able to pull him into the boat. He was taken to Carle Health Methodist Hospital for treatment.  

PHOTOS: A home in the 100 block of South Wall in Wamac was destroyed by fire late Thursday night. The Centralia Fire Protection District initially responded to a report of a possible shed on fire and instead found a house engulfed in flames. At that point, mutual aid was called to the scene from the City of Centralia and the Sandoval Fire Protection District. Odin and Irvington were called to standby at the Centralia Fire District Station in the event of another fire. With the big head start, firefighters took a defensive stance from the exterior attacking several different fires inside the nearly full structure. A small pickup truck sitting near the house was also destroyed. Wamac Police say the home was vacant and most recently appeared to have been used for storage.  

The Bloomington Fire Department announced the launch of a new Community Engagement Survey on Wednesday. According to a City of Bloomington news release, the fire department wants to more proactive with community needs. Fire Chief Cory Matheny said, "At the Bloomington Fire Department, we believe in putting the community first. This survey is a valuable opportunity for residents to voice their opinions, share their experiences, and help us tailor our services to better meet their needs." The survey covers resident perceptions of fire and emergency services and suggestions for improvement.  

The cupola of a four-story building was fully involved in fire Thursday afternoon. SkyTeam 11 reported around 1 p.m. that firefighters were setting up a perimeter around the historic building at South Broadway and Eastern Avenue in the Fells Point area. City fire officials said firefighters were called around 12:45 p.m. to find the mixed-use building that contains a business on the first floor and apartments on the upper floors. Officials said firefighters had to use ladder trucks and deck guns to douse the flames. It took about 45 minutes to bring the fire under control. There was an initial concern about the structural integrity of the cupola due to extent of the fire, so firefighters cordoned off the surrounding area in case it collapsed, but it did not. Fire officials said no one was injured. There was no immediate word on a cause of the fire.  

VIDEO: The Seminole County Fire Department is announcing the donated purchase of 150 heavy-duty containers to support cancer-preventative initiatives for firefighters. In January, the Meet Expectations Girls Gymnastics Competition fundraised nearly $10,000 for the fire departments in Seminole and Orange Counties. The Seminole County Firefighters Benevolent Fund used its $5,000 donation to purchase plastic sealable containers where "floating" firefighters can store their gear when they go to various stations. "Floater" firefighters and lieutenants do not have a permanent station and bring their gear to various stations. "They have to transport their gear home and this is just one level of protection to keep them safe and keep their families safe," Lt. Jazz Zombo said.  

VIDEO: A former Dayton firefighter is sharing his life experiences in his new book which came out May 1. "Overcoming Tuesday" tells the personal story of former firefighter Jim Burneka with co-author Hilary Hawkins. The book title was inspired by an interview with 2 NEWS anchor Brooke Moore about first responders' mental health. "The normal citizen sees one or two traumatic calls in their lifetime. And for us, that's just another day — a Tuesday," said Burneka. The book has an entire chapter focused on the aftermath of the Oregon District shooting in 2019. Burneka details how the event changed his approach to helping first responders cope. As the wellness coordinator for the Dayton Fire Department, it was Burneka's responsibility to provide resources for first responders following the tragic event.  

VIDEO: Tucked away in the mountains of Grand County is C Lazy U Ranch, a guest ranch that's been around since 1919. The land is stunning in a quintessential Colorado fashion — with a burn scar still visible throughout the property. The burn scar is from the 2020 East Troublesome Fire. The Director of Ranch Operations, Mike Cullen, remembers that fire vividly. "In that moment, it was scary. But we had a lot of work to do, and we were making sure we were protecting the ranch," Cullen said. "We had a great heads up from our local fire department and from the emergency services, so we were able to get out of here in time. And they gave us a good heads up so we could move our livestock, our horses, our entire team." Jeremy Belnap, the general manager of the ranch, said after surviving a wildfire there are many aspects of life taken into consideration that were not noticed before the destruction. For Belnap, one of those is the resilience of Aspen groves.