An 88-year-old woman and 70-year-old man were found dead in an apartment fire early Tuesday morning in Chicago's Old Irving Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side, Chicago police and fire officials said. CPD and CFD responded just before 2:30 a.m. to the 3600-block of North Kedvale Avenue for a reported fire in a two-story building there. Emergency officials found the two bodies on the first floor of the building after Chicago firefighters had extinguished the blaze. The cause of the smoky fire is under investigation. The identities of those found deceased were not immediately released, but the woman was believed to be a longtime resident and her 70-year-old son was the man who died, neighbors said.  

In Normal, town leaders approved to borrow $2.5 million to help finance a new fire station. Monday night, the council voted 5 to 2 on the loan from Bloomington-based, Busey Bank. Town staff said by taking a loan, instead of paying the $2.4 million in cash, that money can be used for other capital projects. City Manager Pam Reece said some of those other projects would include parks improvements and building updates within the town, but did not specifically say which parks or buildings. She said had the financing option not been passed, staff would have to cut back on other projects. The new fire station number two would take the place of the current station off College Avenue. It would cost $4.9 million to build the new fire station and town staff has budgeted for this project in the 2022-2023 fiscal year.  

VIDEO: A fire was still burning for a fifth night Monday at a warehouse in northwest suburban Bartlett. The fire started Thursday morning in a storage facility at the Brewster Creek Business Park. "A lot of that fire is deep seeded in there, and that's what's making it so hard for us to extinguish," said Bartlett Fire Chief William Gabrenya, "and that's why we're working with a demolition crew to help move some of that debris so we can get down into where that fire is." Originally, fire officials thought they would be able to have the fire out in three days. Firefighters are supporting that demolition crew, which is removing debris, twisted metal, and roof decking. Firefighters will then attempt to reach and extinguish deep-seated fire.  

Farmer City is recovering from a fire that destroyed their Streets Department office and shop, along with equipment storage. Everything inside was lost. Dump trucks, lawn mowers, barricades, snow plows and more… Every vehicle Farmer City officials used to keep their streets clean went up in flames Sunday. City Manager Sue McLaughlin said the blaze was "all-consuming." Luckily, she said the snow had already been cleared from the streets. Places like Gibson City, Le Roy, DeWitt and Monticello are already offering up their support, with some offering to lend their own street equipment when needed. "If there is any luck in this, it's: first, no one was hurt. But second is that the winter storm was over," McLaughlin said.  

Peoria home is a total loss after a fire Monday night. Crews were called to the area of S. Lydia and SW Adams Street just after 6 p.m., finding fire coming from a first-floor window of the 1 1/2 story house. The fire spread to a finished upstairs living area, and into the attic. Six people who lived in the home were outside when firefighters arrived. Fire officials estimated damage at $85,000. The home was scheduled to be demolished Monday night. Firefighters were on the scene for about three hours, though it took less than an hour to get it under control. The cause of the blaze is under investigation.  

A woman and her dog are displaced from their home following a house fire late Monday morning. At about 11:45 a.m. Monday, firefighters with the Bloomington Fire Department (BFD) responded to a home converted into a multi-unit residence located at 710 E Bell Street. On scene, the fire was mostly put out, but crews were chasing hot spots throughout the house, according to Bloomington Fire Department spokesperson Eric Davison. Davison said only one woman and her dog lived at the house, and both escaped the building without injuries. The home suffered extensive damage inside and outside, however the exact cause is still under investigation. The Red Cross is assisting the woman in finding shelter for her and the dog.  

PHOTOS: A fire burned 4 RVs early Monday morning. There are no reports of injuries, but the fire displaced 6 people. Firefighters arrived before 5 a.m. to find two RVs at Blue Ox RV Park fully involved with fire. "Upon our arrival, we went into defensive mode," Battalion Chief Ryan Bond said. "There was a significant amount of fire to where we couldn't go offensive and go inside, so we protected exposures and made sure it couldn't advance any further." The fire damaged two additional RVs. The fire remains under investigation. Currently, the fire does not appear to be suspicious, the fire department said.  

Monongalia County Emergency Management Agency was the first in the state to use the new 911-eye system. This system allowed dispatchers to receive videos and pictures from callers at the scene of an emergency using their mobile devices. Assistant 911 Director Bradley Wilson said they had the program for roughly a week. He explained that any mobile device could use this technology. "We'll send them a link. They have to approve it. There are no apps to download. It is strictly an internet-based program. Just within a split second if they hit the link, and we'll get the video," Wilson said. This allowed them to get a picture or video of the situation before first responders showed up. Wilson said the caller could continue talking or even texting with the dispatcher while using the video program.  

On their left sleeves, Trenton firefighters have long worn a uniform patch they say is unlike other departments for its depiction of the Iron Fireman, a statue honoring their profession that has stood in the city for over 100 years. The Iron Fireman, clutching a rescued child, is where the department, pre-pandemic, held annual ceremonies. More importantly, it's where the names of firefighters who died in the line of duty are listed. The Iron Fireman is a huge part of Trenton firefighting, members say. That's why the decision by the department's new civilian director, Kenneth Douglas, to change the patch's design - and lose the Iron Fireman - has been met with anger and an online petition to keep the old design. Firefighters say they were not part of the decision, and should have been, and the new design, which newly sworn firefighters started wearing Thursday, tosses away countless years of tradition.  

A Maine legislative committee signed off Monday on a proposal to try to help emergency responders better access mental health support. The bill, LD 1879, establishes a presumption that firefighters, emergency medical technicians, police officers, emergency dispatchers and others who are diagnosed as having post-traumatic stress disorder have the condition because of "extraordinary and unusual work stress," a bill before the Maine Legislature states. The legislature's Labor and Housing Committee unanimously approved the proposal on Monday. Professional Firefighters of Maine backed the change. The organization said the bill would shift the burden of proof to the employer to prove the condition is not related to work. The full Maine Legislature must still vote on the proposal.  

Yakima County Fire District #5 is looking at nearly $70,000 in damages after a burglary at their storage station over the weekend left them with smashed truck windows, a broken door and missing firefighting gear and medical supplies. Deputy Fire Chief Joel Byam said that someone might be able to sell the stolen medical supplies, but they will have a harder time finding someone to purchase firefighting gear on the street without notice. "We just feel this is a complete waste because what are you going to do with it?" Byam said. "Our fear now is it's just going to be dumped somewhere on the side of the road or damaged just to be damaged and that just doesn't help anybody." The old fire station is located at 6231 Yakima Valley Highway in Sawyer — about five miles east of Wapato — and is used to store firefighters' gear when they're on leave, as well as backup equipment. Fire officials believe the burglary occurred sometime late Saturday night or early Sunday morning.