Fire/Rescue

Investigators from the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department have released the identity of the woman who died in a camper fire last weekend in Lockport Township. Sheriff Chad Spence said the victim is 67-year-old Juanita Kimble, a Three Rivers-area resident. Spence said emergency personnel were dispatched late Friday to the 57000 block of Mitchell Street, near the Three Rivers airport, …

The Sturgis Department of Public Safety was dispatched Wednesday evening to the corner of Hatch and Maple streets in Sturgis in response to a structure fire. Crews extinguished a fire that had engulfed a two-story house and attached garage. North Nottawa Street was closed to allow water lines to be added to support tanker trucks at the scene.

The 2025 “Firefighters for Santa,” a goodwill campaign organized by a pair of local fire authorities, was declared a success. In all, 27 families, including 68 children, received presents Monday from officials representing the Fabius-Park Fire Department and Three Rivers Fire Department. Started in 2006, “Firefighters for Santa” helps Three Rivers and Three Rivers-area families down on their luck with …

Strong winds proved to be a nemesis to firefighters attempting to extinguish a blaze at the St. Joseph County Fairgrounds Saturday, according to Centreville Fire Chief Dave Miracle. One merchant barn, Building 42, was destroyed and two additional suffered exterior damage, he said. Central dispatch alerted Centreville Fire at 4:11 p.m. Miracle said he noticed flames on the roof and …

An 11-year-old girl who was hospitalized for burns following a northern Indiana house fire has died, bringing the fire’s death toll to six children, all of them siblings, authorities said Monday. Angel Smith died Friday at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, the Marion County Coroner’s Office said in a Monday update. Her death was confirmed one day after a vigil was …

Fire tore through a house in South Bend, killing five children and leaving a sixth in treatment Monday for burns. People, including children, were trapped by flames on the second floor Sunday evening, the South Bend Fire Department said. Five children were pronounced dead. The sixth was taken to a hospital and later airlifted to one in Indianapolis. An adult …

Four people died and two others were injured Saturday in a Michigan house explosion that could be heard miles away, police said. The explosion happened before 4 p.m. in Northfield Township, about 45 miles west of Detroit. The structure was destroyed, leaving only the basement, Northfield Township Police Lt. David Powell told reporters Saturday. The blast, which could be heard …

A new monitor/defibrillator is on its way to the Sturgis ambulance network next year. City commission members last week approved $40,000 for the purchase of a Lifepak 15v4 monitor/defibrillator from Stryker Corp. Sturgis Department of Public Safety Director Ryan Banaszak said the fire division was in need of another cardiac monitor for its third ambulance. Since adding the spare/transfer ambulance …

The Sturgis Department of Public Safety was dispatched to a residential fire in the 600 block of South Park Street. According to an agency media release, personnel responded at 9:25 p.m. Monday. First-responding crews observed fire extending from the first to the second floor on the north side of the home. It eventually spread into the attic. There were no …

A Constantine Township man died as a result of a house fire last week. The victim was identified as 66-year-old Delbert McCallie. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. Undersheriff Jason Bingaman said deputies and fire crews were dispatched shortly after 10 p.m. Thursday to the 13000 block of Riverside Drive, in response to a structure fire. Upon arrival, deputies …