Report: Aurora woman accused of attempted murder tried to keep firefighters out of home
An Aurora woman accused of trying to kill someone by setting her own house on fire tried to prevent firefighters from entering the house, according to an Aurora Fire Department report.
Joanne Burgess told firefighters Oct. 1 they could not enter her home on the 800 block of Taylor Avenue, according to the report Aurora submitted to the National Fire Incident Reporting System.
The report indicates that a man called 911 because the house was on fire. The man, a resident of the home whose name was redacted, was calling from inside and asked firefighters to hurry.
According to the report, a cigarette lighter started the fire, and a mattress and pillow were ignited. The report marked the fire as "intentional."
Firefighters said the house's hallways were "overfilled" with items and they had trouble fully opening an interior door because of items in the way.
Burgess, 73, sustained burns and was taken to a hospital, the report stated.
Authorities previously reported that the man refused medical treatment.
Police have not given the man's age or his relationship to Burgess. The Daily Herald has filed a Freedom of Information Act request for police reports.
Burgess remains in the Kane County jail on $250,000 bail. She would need to post $25,000 to be freed pretrial. She has a preliminary hearing Friday.