A malfunctioning ladder truck contributed to the deaths of four people in a June 26 fire in Chicago, highlighting a nationwide crisis: the United States is facing a critical shortage of fire trucks.

There is a large Chicago Fire Department response and a mayday has been called at a house fire in the city's West Chatham ...

All outbound lanes on I-55 near Chicago's South Side were closed Monday as a semi-truck fire sent a plume of smoke into the air from the expressway.