Firefighter injured as Spring Valley battles blaze, collision in one night

First responders from Bureau, Putnam and La Salle Counties battled a residential fire and a car vs. pedestrian collision simultaneously Thursday night in Spring Valley, leading to injuries for both a woman and a firefighter.

Firefighters were dispatched about 8:30 p.m. to the 100 Block of Cleveland Street for a residential fire after the homeowner arrived to the flames.

They arrived to heavy smoke in the attic area, Spring Valley Fire Chief Todd Bogatitus said.

“About 30 to 40 minutes in, we had a ‘mayday’ – a worst-case scenario on the fire ground,” he said. “A Spring Valley fireman was injured.”

Bogatitus said the fireman fell from the ladder while working on the exterior and was taken to OSF St. Elizabeth in Peru.

“He fell from the top of the ladder to the landscape down below,” he said.

The firefighter was released from the hospital Friday morning with no broken bones and is at home resting with his family, Bogatitus said.

While firemen remained battling the blaze, they received another call involving a car versus a pedestrian.

“We had two serious incidents going on at the same time,” Bogatitus said.

He said a woman was taken to OSF St. Elizabeth and was later flown to a hospital in Rockford with serious injuries.

No further information regarding the incident was available.

Firefighters were able to contain the blaze to the roof and attic areas and extinguish it within a few hours, Bogatitus said. The home was a total loss.

The homeowner, who was not home when the fire started, was able to rescue any pets before the first responders’ arrival.

Bogatitus said they have not determined the cause of the fire, but it was not suspicious in nature.

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Firefighters work the scene of a structure fire in the 100 block of West Cleveland Street on Thursday, May 15, 2025 in Spring Valley. The fire broke out shortly before 8:30p.m. Fire departments from La Salle Bureau and Putnam Counties responded to the scene. One firefighter was injured at the scene. A mutual aid box alarm system (MABAS) call was issued prompting the response. (Scott Anderson)