Firefighters Rescue Man, 49, From Blaze In Aurora

AURORA, IL -- An Aurora man is in critical condition after firefighters rescued him from a blaze that consumed a townhome in the 3700 block of Gabrielle Lane on the city's far east side Thursday morning. Fire officials say the man, 49, was trying to put out the fire in the back bedroom of the home just before 9 a.m. when he was "overcome by heavy smoke" and unable to escape on his own.

The man's parents, an 85-year-old male and a 77-year-old female, were able to safely get out of the home and alert the Aurora Fire Department.

According to a press release from Battalion Chief Jim Rhodes, the man was found and pulled from the building within three minutes of the fire department's arrival. He is being treated for severe smoke inhalation at a hospital in Aurora.

The fire brought more than two dozen firefighters to the scene. The home sustained approximately $75,000 in damage and was deemed uninhabitable, Rhodes said.