One person is dead and two firefighters were injured in a house fire Tuesday morning. The Decatur Fire Department says crews found heavy flames when they arrived on the scene around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday. We're told flames could be seen coming from the garage and back of a home in the 400 block of North 35th Street. Neighbors told firefighters someone was inside the home at the time of the fire. Unfortunately, crews weren't able to rescue them in time. The official time of death for the individual is 7:22 a.m. on Tuesday. They have not yet been identified, pending the completion of the post-mortem exam. An autopsy for the deceased person is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 27. Two Decatur firefighters suffered minor injuries while battling the flames. The fire remains under investigation at this time.  

The Springfield Fire Department officially began weekly rapid saliva COVID-19 testing in partnership with the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS). The Springfield Fire Department is requiring their workers to get tested for COVID-19 every week on the UIS campus. They started last Tuesday, and the Springfield Fire Chief said those who aren't fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will have to continue with weekly saliva testing. "We are sending every crew every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of every week to go to UIS and to get tested," Springfield Fire Chief Brandon Blough said.  

Eight agencies responded Tuesday night to help rescue a pair of nature walkers near Illinois Route 111 and Collinsville Road in Fairmont City. "It's very swampy back there," said Fairmont City Assistant Fire Chief Daniel Rafalowski. "There are cattails forever tall and it's just as thick as you could imagine." First responders said the area is not a place to explore. The two nature walkers ended up calling 911 for help. "They wound up finding themselves in an area they were less familiar with and stuck in the swampy area," said Fairmont City Fire Lt. Rick Ramirez. As first responders approached they could hear the nature walkers yelling for help. The temperate at the time was near freezing.  

First responders from the Peoria Fire Tactical Medics and Peoria Police Special Response team said training and putting safety first is important during potential threats. On Tuesday, the groups practiced skills and drills to perfect techniques for real-life situations. "It definitely takes many hands in the pot to have a positive outcome, so us working together (and) making sure that we know exactly what everyone else is doing (is important)," said Peoria Fire Captain Tom Stimeling. It also teaches teamwork during tough scenarios, he said. "We're trying to (achieve) one common goal and that common goal is to truly make sure that everybody is doing everything the right way (and that) everybody is safe," said Stimeling. Practice makes perfect and ensures people are prepared, he said.  

No injuries were reported in a Tuesday afternoon fire in Alton. At about 12:30 pm. Tuesday firefighters were called to a structure at 1729 Main St. Flames and heavy smoke greeted firefighters when they arrived. Read More According to authorities, the residents of the home escaped unharmed but the house received substantial damage. Alton firefighters called the East Alton Fire Department for assistance. Initially motorists were driving across a 5-inch supply hose from a hydrant on College Avenue that was running up the street to supply water to firefighters. Driving across a pressurized fire hose can damage it and is against the law. Ambulance paramedics and an East Alton ladder truck eventually stopped the traffic from passing through the College and Main street intersection.  

Police and firefighter/paramedics from Schaumburg responded about 4:31 a.m. Wednesday, January 27, 2020 to an Activated Fire Alarm at Schaumburg High School, 1100 West Schaumburg Road in Schaumburg. The first crew on arrival reported nothing showing, but then reported a smell of smoke inside the high school. Police reported activity at the back of the building, and a minute later firefighters reported there was a fire in the laundry room. The fire department response was upgraded from a fire alarm response to a confirmed fire response by 4:36 a.m. The fire was declared "out" by 4:40 a.m. with a lot of interior smoke. Firefighters used multiple fans to ventilate the interior of the building for an extensive ventilation operation, and also requested the MABAS Division 1 MVU (Mobile Ventilation Unit) to respond at 5:01 a.m.  

A fiery crash between a pickup truck and an antique Chevrolet was captured on camera on Sunday near Atlantic City, New Jersey. According to Galloway Township police, a Ford F-150 pickup truck hit the back of a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air about 8 p.m. Footage from multiple security cameras and broadcast on NBC News Philadelphia showed the antique vehicle burst into flames. The truck can be seen careening across the street, smashing through the corner of a firehouse and coming to a halt as debris scattered everywhere. Nearby first responders told NBC News Philadelphia they rushed toward the firehouse and the burning car shortly after the impact. "It was very hard to get to the firehouse because of the location of the car on fire and where cop cars were," Bayview Volunteer Fire Company Asst. Chief Louis Miranda said. "We had guys parked down the street and run to the firehouse to try and come here and help somebody."  

A former Kansas City firefighter believes he's developed a product that could be a game-changer in getting COVID-19 vaccines to people at the temperatures in which the doses need to be stored. On Tuesday, Edward Collins gave FOX4 an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at his company, Vaccine Pods. "We assure that these vaccines are making it to the end user and the shot in the arm and the proper temperature the entire time," Collins said. The pods are similar to a portable moving container. Inside, a Stirling Ultracold freezer capable of holding 300,000 vaccines keeps the doses at around -100 degrees Fahrenheit. The pod is temperature controlled and powered by batteries that can be recharged with solar power.  

AUDIO: Rescue 42 CEO Tim O'Connell describes how agency-owned Compact Rapid Deployable (CRD) units can provide an easy-to-deploy FirstNet cell tower that can be transported to an incident site with first responders, typically sooner than deployable can arrive from FirstNet, built by AT&T. AT&T cited the CRD program as part of its innovation announcement on Tuesday.  

Every day at work for 15 years, Sean Mitchell, a captain in the Nantucket Fire Department, has put on the bulky suit that protects him from the heat and flames he faces on the job. But last year, he and his team came across unsettling research: Toxic chemicals on the very equipment meant to protect their lives could instead be making them gravely ill. This week, Captain Mitchell and other members of the International Association of Fire Fighters, the nation's largest firefighters' union, are demanding that union officials take action. They want independent tests of PFAS, the chemicals in their gear, and for the union to rid itself of sponsorships from equipment makers and the chemical industry. In the next few days, delegates representing the union's more than 300,000 members are expected to vote on the measure — a first. "We're exposed to these chemicals every day," Captain Mitchell said.  

A piece of Sheridan history will soon return home. According to Sheridan Fire-Rescue Chief Gary Harnish, a 1919 American LaFrance Fire Engine used by the city more than a century ago has been located more than 2,000 miles away in Surfside Beach, South Carolina. Even better, the Surfside Beach Fire Department is dedicated to helping the fire engine return home, and Harnish said he is excited for the engine to become part of the Sheridan community again. "Different opportunities to show it could be anything from a car show to parades to (delivering) Mr. and Mrs. Claus on (Christmas) Stroll night," Harnish said. "So (we have) a lot of different opportunities to get this vehicle out for the public to see it… It's a unique opportunity for Sheridan."