A massive fire at a Rockton, Illinois Chemtool plant continues to burn for a second day Tuesday. The massive chemical plant went up in flames around 7 a.m. Monday and firefighters say it could burn for several days. The Rockton Fire Department has ordered a mandatory evacuation affecting all residents and businesses within one mile of Chemtool. Fire officials said potentially toxic compounds like lead, nitrogen and sulfuric acids only fueled the flames and that drowning the fire with water simply isn't an option. "Oh yeah, they heard it," said Melodie Chamberlain, whose family has been forced from their home. "My grandson woke up my daughter in law and said 'mom you gotta wake up, there's a vibration on our fireplace." At a press conference Tuesday morning, Rockton Fire Chief Kirk Wilson said an industrial firefighter crew from Louisiana has arrived to help battle the fire.  

As a fire continues to burn at a chemical plant in suburban Rockton, officials say that they have stopped putting water on the fire, fearing that run-off could make its way into a nearby river and threaten drinking water supplies. Kirk Wilson, chief of the Rockton Fire Protection District, says that firefighters stopped putting water on the fire, fearing that water run-off could carry chemicals into the nearby Rock River. "We stopped some of the water suppression and some of the fire suppression, and we went ahead and let the product burn off due to the fact that the Rock River sits just west of Chemtool, (approximately) 500 yards away," he said. "We were extremely concerned that would turn into an environmental challenge later on down the road."  

Just before 4 p.m. Monday afternoon, the Peoria Fire Department was called to the scene of a fire in the woods. West of Proctor Place Senior Living, in the 2700 block of West Reservoir, a large fire was blazing. Firefighters had it under control within six minutes, according to a press release. One firefighter suffered an injury to a lower extremity and was treated on scene. They were later taken to the emergency room for evaluation. Their condition is unknown at this time. No civilians were reported to be injured. A Peoria fire investigator was called to the scene, but the cause is yet to be determined.  

State Rep. Adam Niemerg, R-Dieterich, last week presented House of Representative certificates to the firefighters who responded first to the scene on Feb. 16 of a train derailment during a snowstorm and record cold temperatures. "The response by the Dieterich Fire Protection District personnel on that very cold snowy night is very much appreciated by everyone in our area," said Niemerg. "The quick action by these men helped to ensure nobody was hurt, no lives were lost, and that the safety of local residents and travelers through the area was maintained. Thank you, Chief Ross Martin and your team for your efforts that night and all that you do every day for our community." Eleven personnel received this recognition as part of the over 50 people who assisted with the safety procedures and cleanup of the train derailment.  

A maintenance shed caught on fire in a rural part of Henry County. Several firefighters responded to a home in Osco, Illinois off Osco Road where the shed was burning with a vehicle inside that was fully engulfed in flames, according to Osco Fire Chief Mike Mielke. Crews were called to the fire around 11 a.m. Monday, June 14. Mielke said firefighters were able to run three tanker shuttles to get water on the fire. A total of 25 firefighters from three departments responded. The shed was considered a total loss, according to Mielke. Two vehicles inside and some other vehicles outside were damaged. There were no reported injuries to firefighters or residents. A litter of cats however, is unaccounted for.  

Illinois is reporting the lowest daily cases of coronavirus since March 2020. The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting Monday 165 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19, including 9 additional deaths. Public health officials say nearly 69% of adults in Illinois have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose with 52% of adults being fully vaccinated. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from June 7-13 is 1.1%. There have been 1.38 million Illinois COVID-19 cases, including 23,070 deaths. The Department of Public  

VIDEO: Multiple people were hurt after a fuel tanker caught fire and exploded on Sunday near Crowell, Texas. Crowell is about 80 miles west of Wichita Falls. Foard County Sheriff Mike Brown told WFAA that the truck driver and a couple of volunteer firefighters were injured in the incident, but their injuries were minor. A bystander captured on video the dramatic moment the tanker exploded, which the Crowell Volunteer Fire Department posted to its Facebook page. The video, which lasts about 10 seconds, starts after the tanker has already caught fire. About three or four seconds in, an object can be seen flying to the left, almost like a rocket, as the fire turns into an explosion. That was the fuel tank, Brown said. After it flies out of the frame, the flames and smoke billow into a mushroom cloud-like formation before the video ends.  

They may not be the first, but the 10 women who make up Clearwater Fire and Rescue's team are certainly blazing the trail. The fire department recently highlighted their 10 female fire personnel – or "firemedics," as they call themselves. "I love working with people, I love being that person people call," said Nina Borders, who has been with the department for four years. According to WomeninFire's website, some 11,000 women in the U.S. work as career firefighters and officers. But women only make up less than five percent of the fire service in America – a startling statistic, but one that Stephanie Nuszkowski doesn't think about. "I don't think every girl can do this job. I also don't think every guy can do this job," she offered. "I just think it's person to person and you're either cut out for it or you're not."  

PHOTOS: After somehow getting all the way to Alaska, a piece of Morris Plains Fire Department gear is finally home. Some older items recently returned to the department, including a helmet found at a transportation museum in Anchorage. The Morris Plains Fire Department isn't sure how it ended up in Alaska, but now it's back. They also received a Morris Plains Fire Association letter dated July 8, 1921. It was found on the front lawn of a Reading, Pennsylvania, home. The letter will turn 100 next month.  

As a fire continues to burn at a chemical plant in suburban Rockton, Kirk Wilson, chief of the Rockton Fire Protection District, says that firefighters stopped putting water on the fire, fearing that water run-off could carry chemicals into the nearby Rock River. "We stopped some of the water suppression and some of the fire suppression, and we went ahead and let the product burn off due to the fact that the Rock River sits just west of Chemtool, (approximately) 500 yards away," he said. "We were extremely concerned that would turn into an environmental challenge later on down the road. "Officials say that the fire could potentially burn for several days due to the chemicals inside the plant, but that the blaze is contained to one part of the facility at this time, minimizing the risk of it spreading.  

The Delaware General Assembly is aiming to help with what volunteer fire departments say is a struggle to get new members. A task force has come up with ten new recommendations and new programs to attract and retain more volunteer firefighters. Among those recommendations, develop a recruitment and retention training class at the Delaware State Fire School, and establish an program that would assign full-time members to companies in all three counties. The task force also recommended adding a training administrator to the Delaware State Fire School to manage that program, and expanding the Sussex County Operation GEM cadet firefighter program for children ages 10-15 to all school districts. The task force also recommended launching a volunteer firefighter recruitment website and marketing program.