7 Injured, 2 In Critical Condition After Downtown Aurora Fire: FD

AURORA, IL — Seven people were hospitalized after a heavy fire broke out in downtown Aurora early Wednesday morning, according to officials at the Aurora Fire Department.

The fire erupted just after midnight at 15 N. Broadway, a three-story building with a business on the first floor and apartments on the second and third floors. Firefighters responded to the building at 12:23 a.m. after receiving a call that residents were trapped.

While the Engine Companies deployed hose lines to begin extinguishing the fire, Truck Companies searched for the victims. a total of 54 firefighters responded to the burning building, officials said.

The fire was brought under control in about 30 minutes, but fire crews remained on the scene for several hours to check fire extension, extinguish hot spots and search for any hidden fire.

All residents were able to escape, but firefighters had to rescue one person off a roof. A 50-year-old woman was trapped on the roof of an adjacent building, and firefighters helped her down using a ground ladder and stokes basket. The woman sustained significant injuries after she jumped from a third-floor window, falling about 20 feet, officials said.

Paramedics treated seven people and transported them all to local hospitals. Two of the victims, the 50-year-old woman and a 58-year-old man, were brought to a local Level 1 Trauma Center in critical condition, officials said. The man was in serious condition suffering from severe smoke inhalation.

Five people — a 43-year-old man, a 43-year-old woman, a 36-year-old man, a 20-year-old woman and a 9-year-old girl — suffered minor smoke inhalation and injuries and were subsequently discharged from the hospital, according to the fire department.

A 50-year-old firefighter sustained a minor injury, but officials said he did not require hospitalization. A 65-year-old man who was assessed by paramedics signed a release and was not taken to the hospital, according to officials.

While the Aurora Fire Department tended to the fire, North Broadway, between East Galena Boulevard and East New York Street, was shut down to traffic, according to Aurora police. The thoroughfare reopened around 5:30 a.m., the department posted in an update on Facebook.

Red Cross and Victim Services were called to the scene to help the displaced residents after the apartments were deemed uninhabitable.

Officials did not disclose the cause of the fire as of Wednesday morning. The fire remains under investigation, according to officials at the fire department.