Fire/Rescue

Three Rivers Fire Department Chief Dan Tomlinson issued a statement Thursday, warning people to be aware of thin ice. Tomlinson said fluctuating temperatures this winter have resulted in unsafe ice coverage at many lakes. He cited lake-rescue incidents in Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties as situations where poor judgment led to consequences that could have been fatal. He said the …

Lockport Township officials have agreed to extend a contract for service with the Fabius-Park Townships Fire Department. Monday’s vote to approve the two-year pact means the Fabius-Park department will continue providing fire-protection service for the area of Lockport Township north of the St. Joseph River and west of Neaman Road. The $80,000-a-year agreement continues the township’s coverage another 24 months. …

Authorities in southwestern Michigan say a fire broke out in a 10,000-square-foot barn housing about 60 dairy cattle, killing about 20 of them and taking dozens of firefighters hours to extinguish.  Buchanan Township fire Captain Steve Mullen said the fire was reported about 10:50 a.m. Wednesday at the farm, which is in Berrien County.  Mullen says the fire appears to be …

Area fire departments are urging residents to exercise caution with alternative sources of heat. The warning comes as three fires in the past two weeks, including two last weekend, are believed to have started from alternative heat sources. The most recent fire was reported Sunday night at a residence in the 10600 block of Hayman Road in Fabius Township. A …

A LaGrange County woman was treated for injuries sustained after she used gasoline to relight a coal stove in her basement. The woman, whose name and age were not released by the Shipshewana Fire Department, was burned after the coal stove burst into flames with the application of gasoline. The blaze caught the basement on fire, causing significant fire, smoke …

A 19-year-old woman from Vicksburg was injured in a single-car accident Friday in Leonidas Township. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said Danielle Chambers was driving south on Fulton Road around 4:30 p.m. Friday when she lost control of her vehicle on a snow-covered road. Police said Chambers’ vehicle went off the roadway and struck a tree just south of …

Members of the Tri-Township Fire Department welcomed the addition of its new truck Tuesday. Chief Max Kulpinski said the 2009 International was purchased by Fawn River, Sturgis and Sherman townships for $200,000. Another $15,000 was spent to detail, customize and letter the rig. Because the vehicle had been a lifelong demonstration truck, all of its 2,200 miles were recorded to …

The Three Rivers Fire Department is offering a limited number of seats to the public for its upcoming medical first-responder course. The class will meet 6 to 10 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays, and at an unspecified time on an occasional Saturday at the station. Chief Dan Tomlinson said the course is a good public-service opportunity for people interested in pursuing …

Fire-protections service for the eastern half of Flowerfield Township will continue to be provided by the Fabius-Park Fire Department. Members of the department earlier this month agreed to a flat-rate deal with Flowerfield Township officials. The $18,000 annual rate will continue the agreement; the west side of Flowerfield Township receives its fire protection from the Marcellus Fire Department. Regarding concerns …

The Fabius-Park Fire Department recently received an insurance check for nearly $89,000 after much of its equipment was deemed a loss from a Nov. 3 fire in Park Township. A chemical release at a site where barrels of highly corrosive chemicals were being stored resulted in contamination and the subsequent loss of nine air packs, nine sets of turnout gear, …