Child Hospitalized, Dog Reported Missing After May Street House Fire: AFD

AURORA, IL — A child was hospitalized and a dog was reported missing Sunday evening after a single-family home in the 0–99 block of North May Street caught fire, Aurora fire officials said.

Twenty-eight personnel — as well as officers from the Aurora Police Department and Illinois State Police — responded at 8:42 p.m. to the one-and-a-half-story house to find smoke coming from a second-floor bedroom. Despite difficult conditions due to obstructions behind the bedroom door, crews extinguished the fire within 25 minutes of the 911 call, according to a Monday news release.

One child was taken to a local hospital for evaluation related to smoke inhalation. Two cats were safely rescued, but a dog was reported missing and was not located after multiple search attempts, officials said.

The house was deemed uninhabitable due to fire damage, displaying two adults and two children. Residents are temporarily staying with family, officials said.

"This incident underscores how quickly a fire can escalate inside a home," Aurora Fire Deputy Chief Kevin Nickel said in a statement. "Our crews faced challenging conditions but worked efficiently to locate the fire, protect the structure, and ensure the safety of those involved."

Officials said the cause of the fire remains under investigation.