Three pets killed, homeowner injured in Aurora duplex fire Monday

A homeowner was hospitalized, three pets killed and several other animals remain unaccounted for after a duplex fire in Aurora early Monday.

According to the Aurora Fire Department, firefighters responded to a two-story duplex in the 1500 block of Andover Circle just before 5 a.m. Monday to find heavy smoke and fire coming from the first and second floors.

Fire officials said that despite some initial complications dealing with thermal compromise of a hose line, the fire was brought under control.

The homeowner was taken to a hospital for possible smoke inhalation and later transferred to another facility for further care. Two cats and a dog were killed in the fire and several other pets were missing.

The affected unit was declared uninhabitable. The city assisted both the homeowner and a neighboring tenant, who was displaced during the response.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.