A rough weekend of house fires in Aurora left 16 residents displaced and sent one resident and one firefighter to the hospital, according to the Aurora Fire Department. Three separate homes went up in flames between Saturday afternoon and early Sunday, and while firefighters managed to save two cats, they say the causes of all three fires are still under investigation.
Timeline and damage
According to the Daily Herald, the first fire broke out just before 2 p.m. Saturday in the 1400 block of Greenlake Drive. Flames tore through a 2½-story single-family home, leaving it uninhabitable and forcing four adults out. No injuries were reported in that incident.
As reported by the Chicago Tribune, the second blaze came early Sunday, around 4:30 a.m., in the 500 block of South Fourth Street. Crews arrived to find smoke pouring from the attic of another 2½-story house. Eleven adults had to evacuate, and firefighters pulled two cats to safety. No civilian injuries were reported in that fire.
Later Sunday morning, at about 9:40 a.m., firefighters were called to the 200 block of Zengele Avenue, where heavy flames were reported on the front of a two-story home, the Daily Herald reports. One adult resident was transported to a hospital for smoke inhalation, and a firefighter was taken for evaluation of a minor injury. That home was also declared uninhabitable.
Investigation
Aurora Fire Department investigators say all three fires remain under active investigation and that causes and damage estimates have not yet been released, according to the Chicago Tribune. Officials say crews are continuing to examine each scene while working with other agencies to address the immediate needs of the displaced residents.
