VIDEO: After a moment of silence for those lost in the line of duty and a flyover by the Chicago Fire Department's helicopter, Chicago police and firefighters took to Wrigley Field in a friendly rivalry that spans back decades. CFD took the field donning "Bravest" uniforms, while the Chicago Police Department rocking "Finest" across their chest in the annual CFD vs CPD baseball game. "Hopefully [we're] kicking some butt tonight," said Chicago firefighter Tony Budvaitis before the game. "We have no lives, we just like to play baseball on our off time," added Chicago police officer Vincent Macias. But rarely is that off-time spent playing baseball at one of the game's most iconic parks. "I've been coming to Cubs games my whole life, but to actually play on the field, it's very surreal," said Dakota Pisarek, a Chicago firefighter from Garfield Park.  

PHOTOS: A townhouse fire near Wallin Drive and Presidential Ave., in Plainfield did substantial damage on Sunday, September 15th. The first 911 call at 3:29 p.m. The fire was located in the 14600 block of Thomas Jefferson Dr. The first arriving Plainfield Fire Protection District fire unit arrived within six minutes of the 911 call and found a large volume of smoke showing with fire rapidly advancing up the side of the building into the attic of a 4 unit townhouse. Firefighters quickly deployed several hose lines and started to extinguish the fire. The family, who was home at the time, was not injured. The fire was contained to the end unit and attic. NICOR and Commonwealth Edison were called to the scene to secure the utilities. The building was deemed uninhabitable and sustained approximately $300,000 in damage.  

Vanderburgh County dispatch confirms there was a working commercial structure fire Saturday at Pike's Mattress. According to dispatch, the call came in at 4:09 p.m. Black smoke seen even from the Lloyd Expressway filled the sky and sirens started to fill Division Street in Evansville as Pike's Mattress became engulfed in flames. "There was a lot of smoke coming at us," said viewer, John Fowler. "The wind was blowing that way, and we saw the smoke coming out of the building then and then it just blew up from there." John Fowler was in his car headed to dinner when, like many other people, he couldn't help but stop at what he was seeing and feeling. "You could just feel the heat from it, it was an intense heat," said Fowler. "All these firefighters are just really getting blasted by the heat from it." The firefighters were blasted by that heat for hours.  

PHOTO: If you're driving through Avenel, New Jersey, you might just slam on the brakes and say, "What on Earth is THAT?" That's because you'll catch sight of a hulking, metal figure standing tall—a bizarre yet impressive sculpture that seems ready to charge into a burning building, ax in hand. Meet "The Smoke Eater," a larger-than-life firefighter tribute that looks like the lovechild of the Tin Man and a Transformer. Towering over anyone who stops to gawk, this gas mask-wearing, faceless fireman is all business. Made entirely of thick metal strips, he's got a blocky, no-nonsense silhouette that practically screams, "Out of my way, I've got flames to fight!" But here's the kicker—it's not just some random roadside art. This beastly creation was erected in June 2012 to honor the brave firefighters of Avenel, all thanks to a grant that helped bring the vision to life.  

VIDEO: Monday marks five years since the explosion in Farmington that devastated the community and killed Fire Capt. Michael Bell. Six firefighters and LEAP maintenance manager Larry Lord were seriously injured in the blast on Sept. 16, 2019. Firefighters were called to the LEAP building on Route 2 in Farmington at 8:07 a.m. that day for a propane smell in the building. Soon after firefighters arrived and began to investigate, there was an explosion that leveled the building. The injured Farmington firefighters were Fire Chief Terry Bell, Capt. Timothy D. Hardy, Capt. Scott Baxter, Firefighter Theodore Baxter, Firefighter Joseph Hastings and Deputy Fire Chief Clyde Ross. Lord was hailed as a hero for evacuating LEAP employees before the building exploded. He received burns on over 80% of his body and spent several months in the hospital.