5-Year-Old Boy, Grandfather Killed In Fire In Cicero Home

CICERO, IL — A 5-year-old boy and his grandfather are dead after a fire tore through a Cicero home and was worsened by high winds early Tuesday. Cicero spokesperson Ray Hanania said the boy was still alive when firefighters got to him on the second floor of the building in the 4700 block of 12th Place, but that efforts to save him proved unsuccessful and he was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Hanania said the boy's grandfather was found nearby and had succumbed to smoke inhalation.

According to ABC 7, the man was identified as David Castellanos and the boy was identified as David Castellanos III.

In a statement, Cicero Fire Chief Dominic Buscemi said, "This was a very difficult fire. Our firefighters fought through the flames to get to the upstairs bedroom where we believed a man and a child and possibly others were located, but we couldn’t save them."

Buscemi said it was hard to get into the building, due to heavy smoke and flames that were exacerbated by high winds. "The back entrance of the building was completely consumed by flames and we had to go through the front. The front had extensive damage from the fire, also, making access very difficult," he said in a press release.

A Cicero Fire Department firefighter sustained a minor injury fighting the blaze and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. The high winds also caused the fire to damage another home nearby.

According to Hanania, the cause of the fire will be under investigation as soon as the property is safe for inspection.