Nation IN BRIEF : ILLINOIS : Fire-Ravaged Area Gets Assistance

Emergency service crews were providing assistance to about 26 families whose homes were damaged or destroyed by brush fires in northeast Illinois. Firefighters extinguished the last of the fires, which burned for 10 days, destroying 23 homes and damaging three others. “All the fires are out,” said Craig Long, an official with the Kankakee County Emergency Service Agency. “The winds died down and changed direction, which helped.” Other than one firefighter being treated for smoke inhalation, there were no deaths or injuries from the fires, which were fueled by prairie grasses. Most of the families seeking help were senior citizens, said Jessica Landeros, spokeswoman for the Red Cross. The region received less than half the normal amount of snow this winter. Less than an inch of rain fell in the past month.