The Chicago Fire Department on Wednesday honored a fallen firefighter by adding his badge to the memorial wall at the Quinn Fire Academy. Chicago Fire Department Lt. Kevin Ward died on Aug. 29, 2023, weeks after being injured fighting a house fire on the Northwest Side. "If Kevin would be here, he would grab you by the shoulders and say 'Go for it, because no one is guaranteed tomorrow. Therefore, enjoy today,'" said Chicago Fire Department chaplain Rabbi Moshe Wolf. Fire Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt and Mayor Brandon Johnson escorted Ward's family to the wall where his badge was unveiled. "The badge we retired today is more than a number. It symbolizes a life dedicated to the call of duty, a life given in sacrifice and service to others," Nance-Holt said.  

A man was rescued from the Illinois River on Tuesday morning by members of the Peoria Fire Department. At about 11:40 a.m. firefighters were told that a man was in the river just outside of Detweiller Marina, said Battalion Chief Jeff Hascall. Within minutes, they were on their boat and plucked him out of the river. The man had minor injuries. He did not explain to firefighters who were on the department's rescue boat how he ended up in the river, said the chief. The man was being treated by a crew from Advanced Medical Transport, Hascall said. It was unclear if he was transported to an area hospital. No one was arrested, Peoria Police Department spokeswoman Semone Roth said. The police account said the man had refused a request to get in his boat when the fire boat arrived at the scene.  

Plumes of smoke filled the night sky after a massive barge caught fire overnight Tuesday. The smell of smoke continues to linger in Queens where the fire broke out. Officials say they were able to put out the flames at the Sims Metal Facility in just under two hours. The video of the scene shows the intensity of the flames, which looked like a large ball of fire with heavy smoke rising and billowing into the air. A large amount of recycled metal apparently caught fire on the barge. Workers jumped into action and used an excavator in an attempt to smother the flames. Smoke could be seen from quite a distance as the barge burned for hours spewing smoke over heavily populated neighborhoods in Long Island City and Sunnyside, Queens. There were also reports of smoke in Brooklyn.  

PHOTOS: New recruits with the Oklahoma City Fire Department are having their sweat tested. NMotion, a sports and human performance center based out of Norman, is partnering with the department to help firefighters understand their sweat composition. It will help optimize hydration and maintain peak performance in high-temperature environments. "We've had dehydration issues in the past for past recruit classes. I want to get ahead of it, mitigate all kinds of hydration issues and I think this is the best way to do it," said Damon Glass, Athletic Trainer for the Oklahoma City Fire Department. "I've done sports medicine for 25 years. I see a lot of athletes just drink water and they get cramps. They don't know how to put sodium, potassium and magnesium back in their system. This is going to get us a better idea."  

PHOTOS: Saturday marked the 50th anniversary of the infamous 1974 Main Avenue Fire in downtown Durango that destroyed six buildings and killed two first responders. The tragic event lives in the minds of Durango's first responders and helped evolve Durango Fire Protection District's downtown fire suppression tactics. At 3:50 a.m. Aug. 24, 1974, a call alerted the Durango Fire Department that Herb Williams Lumber Co. near Camino del Rio was on fire. At 3:55 a.m., another call came in saying The West Building, on East Second Avenue, was also on fire. But when the Durango Fire Department arrived, firefighters realized both callers were mistaken and the smoke was coming from a fire in the 800 block of Main Avenue that would destroy six historic buildings.  

VIDEO: Firefighters are warning parents after a Cocomelon children's book caused a minivan fire in North Carolina. The George Hildebran Fire & Rescue Department said Sunday that a child's car seat caught fire soon after the child had gotten out. After the flames were put out, the Fire Marshal's Office determined that the fire was started by a "button battery" inside a children's book that was left underneath the seat. Photos of the fire damage showed the padding of the car seat burned, along with some of the plastic melted. The fire department shared a photo of the book they believe caused the fire. It is a Cocomelon book titled "JJ's Potty Time" that makes sounds. While firefighters did not specifically say what type of battery was involved, most button batteries are made with lithium.