First Responders were honored before the Pistol Shrimp game on Tuesday, June 16, 2026 at Schweickert Stadium in Peru. Police, Fire, and EMS departments from Ottawa, Oglesby, Utica, Standard, Tonica, Spring Valley, Illinois State Police, La Salle County Sheriff and Putnam County Sheriff attended the event.

Oglesby, Utica, La Salle, and Tonica firefighters were called to a garage fire on Wednesday, June 17, 2026 in the 300 block of Jordan Street in Oglesby. Firefighters were called to the scene shortly after 5:30p.m. The fire was knocked down within minutes. No injuries were reported.

Fire Chief Bryan LaRoche will step down late this summer from his post as leader of the Kankakee department.

Residents of all ages gathered at Illinois Valley Regional Airport on June 13, for the 6th annual Touch a Truck event in Peru. The community event invited families to explore emergency vehicles and equipment, including the Peru Fire Department's aerial tower lift, and interact directly with first responders. Touch a Truck provides an opportunity for residents to learn about the emergency services that protect their community and ask questions about the vehicles and equipment used in rescue and response operations.

The Troy Fire Protection District discovered a lost bunny in its ambulance bay during Wednesday's storms.

Three people in Aurora were displaced following an apartment fire leaving an entire building uninhabitable on June 11.

Joliet firefighters responded to fire at a single-story home in on Glenwood Avenue Tuesday.

A series of three unrelated house fires over the weekend in Aurora left one resident in the hospital for smoke inhalation, one firefighter with a minor injury, and two homes deemed uninhabitable, displacing a total of 16 people. All three fires are under investigation.

Several Sauk Valley-area fire departments are receiving grants through the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office’s 2026 Small Equipment Grant Program.

The New Lenox Fire Protection District was called to the scene of a commercial structure fire Friday, resulting in multiple raised alarms and major structural damage.

A hazardous materials spill from a large diesel truck’s fuel tank resulted in several lanes of Illinois Route 31 being temporarily closed in West Dundee while authorities worked on containing the pollution to prevent further damage.

A car show, parade and Main Street block party are among the activities scheduled for June 6.

U.S. Congressman Darin LaHood, R-Peoria, visited Rochelle and Ogle County on May 28 and met with city and county officials.

Damages to the Plainfield house total about $300,000.

It’s not even officially summer yet, but the Sterling Public Works Department is planning ahead for winter snowfall.

Cheryl Hansen, who had retired from the Plainfield Fire Protection District, died following a brief illness.

A St. Charles resident was injured while putting out a house fire with an extinguisher on May 28.

A house fire in South Elgin in Kane County left the home uninhabitable with an estimated $400,000 in property damages. All residents were able to safely evacuate from the home.

The Rochelle City Council unanimously approved the $355,787 purchase of a new Horton all-wheel-drive ambulance from Foster Coach Sales on May 26.

A fire near a house in St. Charles was contained to a detached garage with houses on both sides of the garage sustaining radiant heat damage to their exteriors.

The Lynn-Scott-Rock Fire Department in Lindenwood is holding its 73rd annual fish fry fundraiser from 4-7 p.m. Friday, June 5.

There are some familiar faces in new roles within the Kankakee Fire Department following recent promotions.

Jennifer Mobley, co-founder of “Big Hearts of Fox Valley” with her husband Minor, said she’s witnessed first-hand the power of a community coming together. Her nonprofit unites the police and fire department, schools and volunteers to help St. Charles D303 students in need.

From Capitol News Illinois: Twenty individual firefighters and six units from across Illinois were awarded for acts of bravery and service in an annual ceremony on Tuesday

The Lockport Township Fire Protection District was called to a house fire early Sunday morning.

A dog was killed in an Aurora house fire that also displaced three residents, authorities said.

The menu will include pancakes, sausage, orange juice, milk and coffee for a donation to the fire department. Donations will be used to provide and maintain proper equipment and tools to perform the services the fire department provides to Morrison and surrounding areas.

Firefighters were called to the 500 block of West Erie Street for a structure fire on Monday, May 4, 2026 in Spring Valley. The fire happened shortly before 10:45p.m. A Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) call was dispatched for additional fire departments from Eastern Bureau County, Peru, Utica, Oglesby and La Salle.

Peru firefighters were dispatched at 2:10 p.m. to a fire that broke out at a home in the 1900 block of Main Street, near the junction of Market, Main and Schuyler streets.

Fire departments from Ottawa, Utica, Tonica, and Oglesby gathered for a rope rescue training on Saturday, May 2, 2026 in Wildcat Canyon at Starved Rock State Park. Firefighters train at the park each spring for real-life rescues. Wildcat Canyon has cliffs that are over 100 feet high, and it creates a real-life scenario environment for rescuers to practice.

Construction is underway at the Princeton Fire Department to add new sleeping quarters adjacent to the fire trucks, creating more space and improving efficiency for crew members. The expansion comes after space concerns were raised to the Princeton City Council last June, marking the first major update to the station since 1978, with completion expected by early fall.

A Wednesday evening fire destroyed a home in the 8300 block of East Brick Road in Chana, Oregon Fire Protection District Chief Michael Knoup said.

St. Charles police are investigating after a man’s body was found dead in the Fox River on Wednesday near the west side along the 200 block of North Second Street.

Firefighters work at the scene of a fire in the 800 block of Avenue I on Monday, April 27, 2026, in Sterling.

Equinix, a data center company, has donated land north of Interstate 80 to the Minooka Fire Protection District to build a new fire station.

The Kankakee Fire Department hired two new officers, bringing the department's force up to 48.

Nine people were displaced following a fire in a four-unit apartment in a building in the 1100 block of East Court Street on Tuesday.

Search crews in Dixon work to locate an individual who went into the Rock River late Monday night.

The Aroma Fire Protection District is turning its 75th annual fundraiser into a free community event in the wake of the March 10 tornado. They are now seeking area sponsorships instead of resident donations.

Addison firefighter to receive state’s highest honor for daring rescue

Joliet police and fire personnel rescued a man from the Des Plaines River early Thursday morning.

Around 30 gallons of hazardous concentrated bleach leaked from a semi-trailer in Aurora yesterday. Authorities said some of the hazardous chemicals leaked into nearby storm drains.

A Rockford man faces a multitude of charges after Byron police say he fled in his vehicle after being pulled over Saturday for suspected reckless driving, jumped into the Rock River and tried to swim to an island to avoid arrest.

The Joliet Fire Department responded to a fire at a residence in the 1000 block of Highland Avenue on Saturday evening.

The Aurora Fire Department responded to two separate large garage fires on the same day.

The Polo Fire Department will hold a community breakfast Sunday, April 26, at its station.

The Joliet Fire Department responded to a report of a detached garage on fire in the 400 block of Ohio Street at around 4:25 p.m.

Illinois Department of Public Health reports that Illinois fire departments responded to 9,860 carbon monoxide-related calls across the state in 2024 alone.

Improper use of a grill appears to have caused a Wheaton fire that broke out about 4:22 p.m. Friday on the 1000 block of Briarbrook Drive. The blaze left the 30-unit apartment building uninhabitable

Sublette Fire Protection District voters on a 143-90 vote Tuesday approved a ballot measure to bring in more tax revenue to cover ambulance service costs.