A fire department in southern Illinois is mourning after its long-time fire dog died. According to the Dongola Fire Dept., fire dog Dixie died recently. She has been with the department since around the time she was born--more than 12 years ago. She would ride on the firetrucks, participate in parades and train with the firefighters. The department said Dixie has gone into more fires than a lot of its members throughout the years.  

The community of Waltonville held a ribbon cutting ceremony and grand opening for their new fire station on Sunday. The Waltonville Fire Protection District opened the new fire station #2 at IL 148 and Nason Lane, just east of Waltonville. Members of the community, as well as local lawmakers, came by to tour the new facility while enjoying some refreshments and Bubba Too's World-Famous pizza. The fire department's apparatuses were also on display. Waltonville Fire Protection District's Assistant Chief Scott Pennington says this is a major stop forward for the community. "The importance of having an operating second station was for those days if there was something going on the east side of our district," Pennington said.  

VIDEO: The Peoria Fire Department began a new round of dive team training in September, hoping to add six to eight more divers to the team. Firefighters, who are trained as divers, have rescued people for over 25 years. The department oversees more than 50 miles of the Illinois River, spanning from Lacon to Canton. Peoria Fire Chief Shawn Sollberger said at least a dozen people were rescued from the river and other bodies of water in each of the past five years. Diving is an added responsibility for select firefighters. "We have over 20 certified divers as it stands right now. We have three master divers doing the instruction," Sollberger said. It takes at least one year to become certified. "It's very physically intensive. You have to be very physically fit to be a diver," said Brandon Schmitz, dive coordinator for the fire department.  

Traffic cameras in Roseville captured a remarkable rescue on Monday as good Samaritans pulled a man from a burning vehicle. "It could've been catastrophic if we didn't stop," Terry Maynard told FOX 9. "I think it could've been a fatality for sure," Joe Wold added. Maynard and Wold were two of three men who put their lives on the line, to save 22-year-old Paymon Sadat. "We all came together and we had a job to do, our main focus was getting that driver out of that vehicle. We just all went to work. I grabbed the fire extinguisher. I went as close as I could to the engine compartment to knock those flames down as best as I could, to hopefully buy them some time to get that door open and get that driver out," Maynard explained.  

VIDEO: Joe Pfeifer, the first FDNY fire chief to arrive on the scene, reflects on the September 11 attacks in a sit-down interview with Bill Ritter. They discuss Pfeifer having to send his brother into the towers, not knowing the towers would collapse, plus their last moments together on that tragic day. Pfeifer reflects on the loss many face and how he copes with the loss of his brother and so many firefighters and first responders who died in the attacks. Pfeifer also explains why acknowledging the anniversary of 9/11 is so important each year.  

U.S. auto safety regulators are investigating reports that the engines can catch fire on some Jeep SUVs and pickup trucks even with the ignition turned off. The probe covers more than 781,000 Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator vehicles from the 2021 through 2023 model years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in documents posted Monday on its website that it has nine complaints of engine fires from owners including one that caused an injury. A majority of the reports say fires began in the passenger side of the engine compartment. The agency says a fire with the ignition off "can result in an increased risk of occupant injury, injury to persons outside the vehicle, and property damage, with little or no warning."  

VIDEO: Jesse Yeatts has been a firefighter with Gretna Fire and EMS since the early 1970s. 50 years later, he has run around 20,000 calls during his career, saving countless lives along the way. "It's something I enjoy doing," said Jesse Yeatts, Gretna Fire & EMS firefighter. "Helping people out, saving property and stuff like that means the world." It also means the world to all three of his daughters who followed in his footsteps. "I was six years old when he joined," said Sharon Yeatts, Jesse's daughter and Gretna Fire & Rescue EMT. "So, that's how long he's been doing it and I've been watching him do it. When my son turned three, he would say, I want to fight fire like Paw Paw. So, he's inspired a whole bunch," added Sharon Yeatts. At 82 years young, he's still fighting fires.