A woman was killed in a Belleville, Illinois house fire Tuesday morning. The emergency call came in at about 6:30 a.m. for a 121-year-old home on fire in the 600 block of Rodenmeyer Street off McKinley. Belleville Fire Department Chief JP Penet said crews discovered the woman deceased inside the home. Penet said crews brought the woman outside of the home and put her in the care of EMS. "There were some other occupants that already self-evacuated," Penet said. The identity of the deceased is unknown at this time. It is also unknown at this time what caused the fire.  

An active structure fire at Victory Church in Bloomington was keeping several fire departments busy Monday afternoon. Located on Route 150 in Bloomington, the church is just more than a mile away from George Evans Junior High School. The extent of damage to the building is unknown at this time. Multiple fire departments have responded to the fire, including Bloomington Fire Department, Downs Fire Protection District, and Ellsworth Fire Protection District. "We have different chiefs take care of different areas, so we spread out that span of control. There's someone in charge of the water, there's someone in charge of the one side of the building and then there's the overall command taking care of it," said Eric Davison with Bloomington Fire Department According to Eric Davison, public information officer for Bloomington Fire Department, there are no injuries to firefighters or civilians.  

The Webster's Dictionary could define passion, selflessness and public service with two small words - Tim Bunt. Monday night in the Rosewood Heights Fire Protection District, firefighters, wives, children and families gathered together in the living room of the firehouse as an icon for the department stepped down as Chief. Tim Bunt is now being replaced by Chief Corey Williams as honored leader of the volunteer fire department. Bunt will remain with Rosewood Heights Fire Department as a firefighter and as a member of the Board of Trustees. He will also continue as Chief of the Wieland Group Fire Department. Tim Bunt has known nothing but firefighting since he was a young boy, but he says his love as a child for firefighting is still with him today.  

An 80-year-old man is facing arson charges, accused of setting a fire in his apartment in northwest suburban Arlington Heights, damaging several other units in the building last week. Arlington Heights Police said Paul Strusiner is charged with aggravated arson in the fire at his apartment building at 400 W. Rand Rd. on Friday. He is due to appear for a bond hearing on Tuesday. Police said he admitted to intentionally setting a fire in his apartment, which spread to several other units, and sent dozens of families out into the freezing cold just after midnight on Friday. The entire 96-unit apartment building was evacuated as firefighters from several departments worked to extinguish the fire.  

Fires that damaged at least three Farmington businesses a few days apart in November still are being investigated, according to authorities. But one fire might be under more investigation than the other. And plans for possible reopenings are nebulous, although one business is operating again in a different form. The first fire, reported about 9 p.m. Nov. 22, destroyed Whiskey Dixie's bar and O'Brian's Parkside Deli & Diner. The establishments were located next door to each other on Cone Street in downtown Farmington. At about the same time three nights later, on Thanksgiving, another fire caused at least a temporary closure of Ashers Bar & Grille. That restaurant and bar is located on Fort Street, around the corner from the site of the first fire.  

PHOTOS: The Firth fire station, part of the Shelley-Firth Fire District on Firth's main street, suffered heavy losses Monday morning in a blaze which totaled equipment and sent one firefighter to the hospital where he was treated and released, with any apparent injuries mostly involving smoke inhalation. Firth Fire Chief Dale Mecham said an electrical problem was an apparent cause of the fire. The state Fire Marshal's office was on the scene investigating, and Mecham said the 21-man volunteer department would have to wait for its insurance company to investigate. Mecham said two engines, one brush rig, and two pumpers were all totaled with damage to other trucks. He said they were able to save all brush rigs but one.  

PHOTOS: The City of Shakopee's Zamboni just got a red hot upgrade. Last Thursday, the city debuted its firetruck-wrapped Zamboni at the Shakopee girls hockey game. Complete with a fire engine red design and details, the Zamboni also features the message "Become a Firefighter" across the side. On top of giving first responder firefighters a well-deserved shoutout at games, city officials hope the design, which was created in partnership with SignPRO, helps raise awareness about the fire department's recruiting program. Speaking at the Zamboni's unveiling, Shakopee Mayor Bill Mars said the decked out ice resurfacer "celebrates the rich and meaningful contributions of the brave firefighters who serve our community at the Shakopee Fire Department."  

PHOTOS: An apartment high-rise fire in the Bronx that killed 17 people and injured dozens of others on Sunday was one of the deadlier building fires in the city's history. Some lists of New York City's most deadly fires include the 9/11 attacks at the World Trade Center. Two commercial airline flights crashed into the towers, leading to fires and collapses of both buildings that killed about 2,750 people. Before 9/11, the deadliest fire in the city's history was aboard the General Slocum excursion boat in the East River in 1904, when 1,021 passengers died. The fire swept through the Brooklyn Theatre on Dec. 5, 1876, near the end of a performance of "The Two Orphans," killing at least 278 people. Media reports said a gas lantern ignited some scenery, and many of the victims were trampled trying to get out of the building, which had no fire exits.  

Comedian and actor Bob Saget passed away over the weekend in Florida. The ‘Full House' star died at the age of 65. Tributes have poured in from everywhere including one fire department in Louisiana. St. Tammany Fire Protection District #1 put together a touching video in honor of Saget and posted it to their Facebook page. The video was accompanied with this message, "RIP Bob Saget! Your show must have had an impact on the crew at Station 13. Today they made this short video in your honor." Saget had returned to the stand-up circuit before his passing including a show on Saturday. Investigators are still working to determine the cause of death for the comedy legend.  

VIDEO: The team efforts at a harrowing 2021 fire in a Vernon tenement are being featured on a national documentary. The fire took place at 80-82 Union Street last March. A raging inferno trapped residents on the third floor and the building was engulfed in smoke. A rescue team that sprang to action spared no title — in addition to firefighters and police officers, a registered nurse from nearby Rockville General Hospital, an Air National Guard sergeant who lived next door and Vernon's town administrator and emergency management director sprang into action and the two people trapped on the third floor were rescued. The efforts that day are being showcased in a documentary television series called "Hearts of Heroes." The show airs Saturday mornings on ABC television stations and can also be viewed on YouTube. The show "showcases the stories of men and women braving natural disasters with one goal: to rescue the victims and help restore their lives."