VIDEO: An apartment fire at a senior living complex claimed the life of an 82-year-old woman Wednesday night. Firefighters rescued other tenants in the building, but many of those residents are still displaced as investigators search for a cause of the fire. Firefighters were called to Touchette Elderly Apartments on Bond Avenue in Cahokia Heights around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. Camp Jackson Fire Chief Chris Davis said that when his crews got to the scene just a couple of minutes later they were met with heavy smoke coming from the second floor of the building. The fire quickly grew to five alarms, with more than 40 firefighters from 12 departments responding to evacuate tenants and extinguish the blaze. More than 50 residents were rescued.  

VIDEO: Halloween is right around the corner, giving many the chance to play dress up and get free candy. But some costumes do come with safety hazards for children. To avoid your costume from ending up in flames, there are some tips and tricks you can use to avoid a fun night turning into a tragedy. While most store-bought costumes made today are not as flammable, there are some flame-retardant ones to look out for. Once ignited, it can cause severe melting. It's important to keep children away from open flame when wearing a costume made with fabrics like cotton, polyester, nylon, and even silk.Taylor said residents should read the specifications for Halloween décor as well. Saying electrical decertations need to be turned off or brought inside when no one is home.  

Several off-duty firefighters rushed to the aid of the driver of a tanker truck who was involved in a fiery rollover crash, leading to hours-long lane closures and massive traffic backups along Interstate 595 in Davie. All westbound lanes were shut down near Nob Hill Road after the tanker rolled over and caught on fire, Thursday afternoon. The highway did not reopen to traffic until just after 9 p.m. Several agencies responded to the blaze near the Nob Hill Road exit, including Davie Fire Rescue, Hollywood Fire Rescue and Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue's hazmat team. The tanker carried waste products, and its fuel lines were ruptured. Officials said the driver was traveling west when the vehicle swerved, went on its side and caught on fire. The smoke was visible from several miles away.  

Several Memphis fire stations are home to new engines, albeit on a much smaller scale. Fire Replicas, a company that makes high end fire truck models for the largest departments all over the country, created several to represent the Memphis Fire Department (MFD). Four models can be found on Fire Replicas website, including a University of Memphis engine themed in Memphis Tigers colors. Those four engines, which Fire Replicas said are only the first four MFD engines created, were delivered to stations across Memphis on Monday, October 23. The replicas are available for purchase on Fire Replicas website starting around $329. The company has also created replica engines representing fire departments in New York City, Chicago, St. Louis, Los Angeles, Dallas and Philadelphia, among other cities.  

The Auburn Fire Chief says they often get thank you cards and the occasional donation, but nothing has ever been so large that it will help for years to come. A few months ago, the chief got the surprise of a lifetime when a former patient donated $500,000. "This is the ultimate in paying it forward," Chief Stephen Coleman said. "She's going to still be able to provide assistance for people in a final act of kindness." The donor was Debbie Virgilio, who was a regular patient of Auburn first responders toward the end of her life. With the donation, the fire department purchased a brand new, fully loaded ambulance, as well as new equipment for the department's three other ambulances. "She was just always impressed with the level of care and compassion she received from the paramedics," Coleman said.  

VIDEO: Salina Emergency Management last week took a new approach during a training session. The effort to give first responders a more realistic simulation borrowed some ideas from a role playing game that's regained popularity in recent years after reaching its initial peak about 40 years ago. Salina Emergency Management Director Michelle Weis said traditional regular training has its drawbacks. "The discussion can get kind of boring," she said. "To the point that the actions are just kind of assumed and you just kind of roll with it, no pun intended." Weis decided to go with a novel idea. "We kind of took a concept from "Dungeons and Dragons" and eased some of our first responders into a board-game-style discussion-based exercise," she said.