Five abandoned homes caught fire early Tuesday morning in Chicago’s south suburbs, leaving some nearby residents without electricity. The fire broke out around 3 a.m. near 155th Street and Turlington Avenue in Harvey. Five homes were involved in the blaze, and no injuries were immediately reported.

According to Alderwoman Colby Chapman, the homes had been abandoned for nearly 10 years. She added that electricity is out near 155th Street and Broadway. ComEd has been notified, but there is no timetable for when power will be restored. The cause of the fire is still unknown.

Chapman said abandoned properties have been a recurring issue in Harvey for years and that the city council is working on legislation to address deteriorating homes and hold property owners accountable.

“This [Tuesday morning fire] is right here in the second ward where I serve. And for about 20 years, many of these homes have been abandoned. And it’s just gonna take an overall coordinated effort as we continue to move forward to bring the city back on its feet,” Chapman said.

“We’re identifying and just overall looking at solutions that can be supportive to the many homes that are in a very dilapidated condition. I think much of this, we have to put the onus on the landowners and ensure that we have a correspondence with them for negligence and holding them accountable for, you know, leaving these distressed properties in our city,” Chapman said.

WFLD-TV FOX 32 Chicago

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VIDEO: There’s a new push to increase the number of firefighters on New York City fire engines. Right now, there are five firefighters on only 20 fire engines, which is just 10 percent of the department’s fleet. Supporters want to increase the number of 5 firefighters per engine to half of the entire fleet.

In a year when New York City has seen 46 fatal fires in just the first five months of the year, including a 61-year-old man killed Monday morning in Sunnyside, Queens, city leaders are searching to address the problem to save lives.

“Behind each of these statistics lies a story of sorrow, a life that is cut short, a loss, and a single moment that lasts forever for their loved ones and for our city,” NYC Council Speaker Julie Menin said.

Menin said the firefighters’ unions and several other council members are calling for five-person crews in 86 engine companies that are the busiest and deadliest areas of the city.

“The FDNY only reports how long it takes for the first unit to arrive in a fire. It does not report how long it takes to get water on the fire. It takes quite a bit of time to assemble the entire team. It takes longer to get all the rigs there. That’s why it’s more important to have the first arriving engines having this initial staffing. You get that hose in place quickly,” Andrew Ansbro with the Uniformed Firefighters Association said.

“The fifth firefighter is only not necessarily a silver bullet to stop to solve all of those problems.” During a city council budget meeting on Monday afternoon, FDNY Brass told the council it’s unclear if adding a fifth firefighter will improve response times.

WABC-TV ABC 7 New York City

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House fire impacted traffic in Spokane’s Logan neighborhood. It started at 4 a.m. Tuesday, near the intersection of E Indiana Avenue and N Cincinnati Street, a couple of blocks down from Logan Elementary. The fire started in the basement, according to Spokane Fire crews on scene.

When our crew arrived, they saw smoke coming from the home and firefighters on the roof. The seven people who live in the home were able to escape. One person was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

KAYU-TV FOX 28 Spokane

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PHOTOS: Thousands of mourners gathered Monday at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross for the funeral of Boston firefighter Robert “Bobby” Kilduff Jr., who died in the line of duty on May 23, battling a three-alarm fire in Dorchester.

First responders from across Massachusetts and other states — including New Hampshire, New York and California — lined Washington Street in Boston’s South End to salute the funeral procession, at some points standing five people deep.

The procession, including bagpipers, passed under a massive American flag hanging over the street, held in place by the extended ladders of two fire trucks. The fire truck carrying Kilduff’s casket was draped with black bunting; the casket itself was covered with an American flag.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu were among the dignitaries at the funeral. Speaking at the service, Wu said Kilduff “embodies Boston.”

“ For nearly 350 years, longer than anywhere else in America, Boston firefighters have shown up. And when one of our protectors lays down their life in service to our city, every heart in Boston feels the pain of that loss,” Wu said. “Bobby Kilduff answered the call. He gave his life making sure his neighbors got another day.”

WBUR-FM 90.9 Boston

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A detached shop was heavily damaged in a fire Sunday afternoon in South Kitsap county. Firefighters were dispatched at approximately 12:17 p.m. to the 4000 block of Bethel Road Southeast near Bremerton for reports of a residential structure fire. South Kitsap Fire and Rescue said crews found a detached shop fully engulfed in flames with a portion of the structure already collapsed.

Firefighters launched an aggressive attack and were able to bring the fire under control within 15 minutes of dispatch, preventing the blaze from spreading to nearby structures, according to South Kitsap Fire and Rescue. One firefighter sustained a minor injury during the incident. No other injuries were reported. The cause of the fire has not been released and remains under investigation.

KING-TV NBC 5 Seattle

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