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Two critical after Aurora motel fire; heater blamed

Two people are in critical condition at Loyola Medical Center in Maywood after a fire Friday night in their Aurora motel room, fire officials said Saturday.

The cause of the fire in the 1000 block of East Benton Street appears to be the wall heater in the room, fire officials said. Smoke detectors were present, but the smoke detector in the room was not operating, officials said in a news release. The smoke detector in the hall outside the room was working. The fire was investigated by the Aurora Fire Department Arson Team.

The fire department responded at 7:30 p.m. and found heavy smoke and a small fire in a first-floor room of the building. Searching the room, firefighters found two victims.

Both victims were transported to Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora. From there, they were taken by helicopter to Loyola. Fire officials have not released any information about the victims’ identities.

According to the fire department, someone in a room above discovered the fire and called authorities. The fire was contained to the original room. Seven fire companies were on the scene. There were no reported injuries to firefighters.

Fire officials said the motel owner found six people rooms at another hotel in Aurora. Other occupants declined help. Damages to the motel are estimated at $50,000.

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