VIDEO: A Chicago firefighter is recovering after he fell through a floor while putting out a fire on the South Side early Friday morning. He was seen being brought out on a stretcher, but the fire department said he's in good condition and getting checked out at University of Chicago Medical Center. Large flames and heavy smoke broke out just before 1:15 a.m. at South Champlain Avenue and East 73rd Street in the city's Park Manor neighborhood, Chicago fire officials said. No one else was hurt, but one person has been displaced, Chicago police said. The cause of the blaze is still under investigation.  

VIDEO: Dogs are man's best friend and humans love their animals, so how do we keep them safe during a fire? Bloomington Fire Department‘s public information officer Frank Friend said the fire department and the Miller Park Zoo officials worked well together to put out the fire that struck the zoo Monday night. He said the firefighters relied on the zookeepers and workers' expertise in order to keep the animals as safe as possible during the fire. "We've developed an excellent relationship with the zoo," Friend said. "We really rely on their expertise and they're top-notch at what they do, we're pretty good at what we do." Friend said as the two groups worked together, he realized it was a unique situation as the fire crews looked to the zoo for guidance on how to keep the animals safe.  

VIDEO: A 72-year-old man is confirmed dead and two other people were injured after a house fire in Peoria. According to Peoria Fire Chief Shawn Sollberger, a passerby alerted the fire station down the street around 6:55 a.m. that there was smoke coming from a house in the 3400 block of North Gale. "Heavy fire, heavy smoke, according to the radio disposition we heard at the station then headed to the scene. There were heavy indications that someone was inside," said Sollberger. Both a firefighter and a neighbor sustained non-life-threatening injuries while trying to save the victim, and a dog was rushed off by animal control. The fire was put out within 10 minutes. "These calls are tough, we try to do our best with available resources, good response times. The unfortunate part is when you have these unique situations it's pretty hard," said Sollberger.  

VIDEOS: One firefighter is dead and four others were injured while battling a large rowhome fire in northwest Baltimore Thursday afternoon. SkyTeam 11 was over the scene in the 5200 block of Linden Heights Avenue. Firefighters responded at around 3:45 p.m., Chief James Wallace said. Crews entered the building to attack the flames when the fire rapidly grew. They declared a two-alarm fire as more units responded to the scene. One firefighter died and four others were injured with burns of varying degrees. Some are recovering at Shock Trauma, others at Johns Hopkins Bayview. At least three of the injured firefighters are in serious condition, according to officials. Preliminary investigation led officials to believe that some of the homes were occupied. Police are interviewing people who were in the area at the time.  

Oklahoma has become the first state in the nation to require a work zone safety and first responder safety course for teen drivers. The law, set to take effect Nov. 1, 2023, will require all Oklahoma teens to complete the free Oklahoma Work Zone Safe and First Responder Safety online education course before applying for their intermediate driver license. Work Zone Safe, along with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and Service Oklahoma, are highlighting this new law during National Teen Driver Safety Week, Oct. 15-21. With car crashes being one of the leading causes of deaths for U.S. teenagers, it's imperative that new drivers understand the importance of driving safely inside work zones and moving over and slowing down for first responders.  

The American Red Cross North Texas Region marked a milestone on October 3, 2023. The region celebrated the installation of its 50,000th smoke alarm at the home of Lesia Baker during a Sound the Alarm event in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas. Partnering with Dallas Fire-Rescue, the City of Dallas Office of Emergency Management and other community organizations, Red Cross volunteers installed the ceremonial smoke alarm in Baker's home, where she proudly showed off her new alarm. She expressed gratitude for the alarm and her desire to be a leader in her community by helping to make homes safer. "I thank you all for coming to install because even though I have some [smoke alarms], they need to be changed out," Baker said. "It is just a blessing that you were able to come today to place the alarm systems because my life, your life and all lives matter."  

VIDEO/PHOTOS: Powerful winds blew across the region on Tuesday. There were sustained winds of more than 30 mph with gusts of more than 50 mph in the Great Falls area. The powerful winds brought something not very common to a northside neighborhood. Driveways and yards in the Eagles Crossing area just west of Bootlegger Trail were overwhelmed by tumbleweeds, piled several feet high against some houses, with some piles touching the rooftops. Peyton Johnson who lives in the neighborhood says that occasional tumbleweeds are not unusual — but she has never seen it this bad. "I heard it was bad because my husband was out earlier, but I didn't think it was that bad. I was pretty shocked," Johnson said. A Great Falls Fire Rescue marshal who arrived at the scene said they are reviewing options for clearing the area — but aren't sure where to begin.