Woman Trapped In Apartment On Fire Saved By Aurora Firefighters

AURORA, IL — Aurora firefighters saved a woman who was trapped in an apartment on fire on New Year's Day, officials said.

Firefighters were dispatched at 4:55 p.m. to an eight-unit building in the 300 block of Coventry Court. Initial 911 calls indicated a stove fire, but more callers reported visible smoke and a person possibly still inside the residence, according to a news release.

Ultimately, 29 personnel responded to the fire. The first crews to arrive found smoke coming from the eaves of the two-story building. One team found a woman trapped inside a second-floor apartment, and firefighters used a ladder to reach the window and carry her to safety, officials said.

Paramedics treated the woman at the scene, then took her to a local hospital for further evaluation.

Firefighters also found a dog, which was unharmed, in the unit with the fire and safely reunited it with family members.

In the process of extinguishing the blaze, crews encountered a frozen hydrant but were able to establish an alternate water supply to put out the fire, which was contained to the unit where it started. A neighboring unit sustained water damage, officials said. Both units were deemed temporarily uninhabitable, while the remainder of the building remained livable.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

"This was a fast-moving incident with a confirmed victim, and our crews acted quickly to get her out and contain the fire," Fire Deputy Chief Kevin Nickel said in a statement. "We're thankful she survived — and proud of the teamwork that helped prevent this from being much worse."