A new law regarding smoke detectors has been passed in Illinois. State and local fire safety experts met with Eastern Illinois University officials at the Charleston Fire Department on Thursday, Oct. 22, to discuss the new law. According to Margaret Vaughn — the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance and Illinois Firefighters Association Government Affairs Director — the organizations worked with the General Assembly to pass this legislation. Vaughn said the new law requires Illinois residents to replace their smoke detectors with the type that has a long-term, 10-year sealed battery. This must be done by the end of 2022. This applies to Illinoisans who are still using smoke detectors with removable batteries or alarms that are not hardwired. Officials said that in 2019, there were 91 residential fire deaths in the state. Of these, nearly 70% occurred in homes without working smoke detectors.  

An Oregon family grieves the loss of their 87-year-old mother after she dies in a house fire early Thursday morning. "I came down this morning to do my chores and the house was on smoke, the whole thing was smoke," said Kenneth Wolfe, the victim's son. Wolfe and Joyce Jones' mother, Loretta Wolfe, died Thursday morning after her Oregon home went up in flames. "I saw heavy smoke coming from the front of the structure we also got word we had a victim inside," said Oregon Fire Chief Michael Knoup. "I was upset, I was at work when my sister called and told me the house was on fire. It was hard, very hard," Jones said. While Jones and Wolfe grieve the loss of their mother, they're also picking up the pieces of their damaged childhood home and years of memories lost.  

A Lakewood home was deemed a complete loss after a fire caused it to partially collapse and sustain $350,000 in damage, Crystal Lake fire officials said. The Crystal Lake Fire-Rescue Department responded around 9:13 a.m. Wednesday to the 7100 block of Inverway Drive in Lakewood for a report of a structure fire. Several 911 callers reported the house was well-involved in flames from the second floor. Firefighters arrived and confirmed heavy fire conditions, according to Crystal Lake Deputy Fire Chief Chris Olsen. The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was activated for additional assistance and firefighters initiated defensive operations due to the amount of fire and instability of the structure, Olsen said. The residence was unoccupied because it was undergoing renovations. The structure partially collapsed during the blaze.  

No one was injured in a single-family house fire in St. Charles Thursday afternoon that caused an estimated $15,000 in damage. The house is still habitable. There were no civilian or firefighter injuries during the incident. At 3:07 p.m. Thursday, the St. Charles Fire Department was dispatched to 608 S. 4th Avenue for a report of smoke inside a single-family home, according to a news release from the St. Charles Fire Department. Firefighters were on the scene by 3:11 p.m., the release stated. Firefighters were able to determine that the fire was in the structural framing behind the fireplace, according to the release. Exterior siding and sheathing were removed to access and extinguish the fire. The structure was checked for any fire extension and the smoke was ventilated from the home, the release stated. The building was returned to the occupants by 4:45 p.m.  

Illinois American Water is helping the Peoria Fire Department prepare to save lives with a new grant. The department announced $1,000 from the Firefighter Assistance Grant Program, which helped buy new CPR training mannequins. Not only are they used for practice, but they can also give feedback on how the user is doing with the procedure. Along with the new equipment, a partnership with AMT helps train firefighters in life-saving initiatives. The mannequins aren't just for fire personnel, though. Department officials plan on taking the mannequins around the community to also help train civilians and police officers. Assistant Fire Chief Jim Bachman is grateful for a bright spot in a frustrating year for the department. "This grant money is huge for us, in light of all the budget cuts. It's been really difficult," he says. "It doesn't look like we would have purchased these CPR mannequins in 2020, maybe not even 2021."  

VIDEO: A crash that sparked a brush fire forced the closure of part of Interstate 80 in Placer County for several hours Thursday. A vehicle slammed into a power pole on westbound I-80 at Highway 193 in the Newcastle area, knocking powerlines onto the highway and Ophir Road and igniting a fire, according to the Placer County Sheriff's Office. I-80 was closed in both directions between Highway 49 at Auburn and Highway 193 at Newcastle. The roadway reopened around 10:50 a.m. No one was injured in the crash and crews were able to contain the blaze.  

On Thursday, Brittani Rawls became Passaic Fire Department's first female tillerman. That's the firefighter who sits in a seat in back and steers the tail end of a firetruck. It's the kind of challenge she relishes, because in a city crammed with traffic, tight streets and double-parked cars, life for the tillerman is never dull. There are no brakes. Instead the job requires a feel for how the back of the truck swings and for what the driver is doing so that the tillerman can adjust the movement of the back end. Rawls often has to steer one way and then quickly recover. "It kind of glides," Rawls said, adding that often people don't realize how far the rear of the enormous ladder truck might have to swing out. "I love it. I live for the thrill of things." Becoming certified as a tillerman requires nerves of steel and lots of training. It's a big achievement, fire officials say.  

This is the first year the Victoria Fire Department will administer flu shots for the homeless and low-income families and it's all part of a long-range plan for the department to have more public health outreach. "Due to COVID-19 we felt this was a great year and a great opportunity to start that," said Tracy Fox, VFD Chief. …and they're not just doing it to help the most vulnerable members of our community. "Well we also want to reduce the impact on the hospitals are going to be faced with COVID-19 and then flu after that," Fox said. It's clear the homeless community's health needs are not being met, Fox said, which makes outreach important. "This is just one of those ways where we can also help our response by improving the health of our homeless and vulnerable populations," Fox said. "By vaccinating them for flu, we won't have to take care of them during the flu season."  

Tifton fighters are trading in their boots for high heels to show support for the fight against domestic violence. Kiefer Daughtry is an engineer at the Tifton Fire Department, and right before the interview, he traded in his work shoes for a pair of fuchsia-colored high heels. "What's going through your head right now? How does it feel?" asked Poitevint. "It feels terrible. I'm ready to put shoes on," said Daughtry. "How long have you been in them right now?" asked Bobby. "Five minutes," replied Daughtry. Daughtry said it's nothing like anything he's ever worn before. "Oh, absolutely not. The boots we wear are steel-toe and pretty sturdy. These shoes are way worse," explained Daughtry. This is all part of an outreach initiative by Ruth's Cottage and the Patticake House.  

Have you ever heard of a fire truck being raffled off? That's what one Schuylkill County fire company is doing. "We've gotten some messages. I've gotten some messages from people saying, 'what are you guys thinking?' But honestly, it's a good truck, and we're going to give it a shot," said Sam Detweiler of Liberty Fire Company No. 4 in Schuylkill Haven. "Wherever it goes, it'll get a good home." Liberty Fire Company is raffling off this 1992 Pierce Arrow Pumper fire truck. "We had this apparatus for sale three months ago, and it's been for sale ever since," said Aaron Schimpf of Liberty Fire Company. "I think because of the pandemic, fire companies just not interested in making an investment at this time, so we decided to raffle the truck." If you want it, you'll be facing some competition. It's $100 a chance, and the fire company is only selling 250 tickets and a good chunk of those are already sold. Bids have come in from all across the country, including Oregon.