Three boys escape Aurora fire that left home uninhabitable

Three boys escaped unharmed Saturday morning after fire broke out in the garage of their home on Aurora's East Side, authorities said.

Aurora firefighters were called to the home in the 3100 block of Village Green Drive at 9:43 a.m. by a neighbor who saw smoke coming from the garage.

At the time there were three children home: two 10-year-old boys and a 15-year-old boy. According to the Aurora Fire Department, the oldest boy smelled smoke, opened the interior garage door to see the fire and attempted to put it out with a fire extinguisher. After that was unsuccessful, he shut the door and was able to get out of the home with the two other boys and the family dog.

The 15-year-old was treated for minor smoke inhalation, but did not have to go to the hospital, fire officials said.

Firefighters arrived to find the two-story, single-family home with heavy fire coming from the attached garage. It took 27 firefighters about 50 minutes to fully extinguish the fire, officials said.

The fire caused an estimated $125,000 in damage, and left the building uninhabitable. Three children and two adults were displaced, but are receiving housing assistance from the city and Red Cross.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, authorities said.

A statement from the fire department said the fire stresses the importance of calling 911 prior to attempting to extinguish a fire. It is the second fire in a week in which a resident tried to put it out before calling 911, resulting in significant additional damage, officials say.

Officials also praised neighbors who cleared snow from nearby fire hydrants, allowing firefighters to locate and access them more quickly.