2 APD Officers Injured In Fire That Left Apartment Uninhabitable: FD

AURORA, IL — Two police officers were injured early Thursday morning while helping put out a fire at an Aurora apartment building that was later deemed uninhabitable, according to the Aurora Fire Department.

The officers, who suffered from minor smoke inhalation, were treated and released at the scene, officials said.

Firefighters were dispatched at 2:51 a.m. to a two-unit, split-level apartment building in the 900 block of Spruce Street. Upon arriving, officials said crews found heavy fire showing from a rear window on the second floor.

Initial reports from the caller — there was a language barrier, fire officials said — indicated there was a child still in the bedroom. Aurora police officers arrived and forced their way into the locked bedroom but had to retreat due to heat and smoke.

While Engine Company crews extinguished the fire, Truck Company firefighters searched for victims, finding none. They later determined the child was, in fact, a 21-year-old who was not home at the time of the fire, according to a news release.

Residents will be staying with family since they can no longer live in the building, officials said. No civilians or firefighters were injured.

The Aurora Fire Department continues to investigate the cause of the fire.