Woman seriously hurt after jumping from third-story window during Aurora blaze
Two people, including a woman who jumped out of a window, remain hospitalized after a fire in a downtown Aurora building early Wednesday morning.
The fire in a three-story building in the 0-100 block of North Broadway was reported at 12:23 a.m. The building has an insurance agency on the ground floor and apartments above.
All the residents escaped the fire. But a 50-year-old woman was seriously injured when she jumped from a third-story window onto the roof of an adjacent building, roughly 20 feet below. She remains hospitalized, as does a 50-year-old man who suffered severe smoke inhalation. Both were taken to a Level 1 trauma center.
Five other people suffered minor injuries, including a 9-year-old girl. Battalion Chief Jim Rhodes said they were treated at a hospital and released.
It took nearly 40 minutes to put out the fire.
Investigators believe the fire started on the third floor but have not determined a cause.
The apartments are not inhabitable. Rhodes said Wednesday afternoon he did not know the status of the insurance agency office.
The building, which has a masonry exterior and wood-frame interior, was built in 1900, according to Aurora Township assessment records.
Broadway was closed between East Galena Boulevard and New York Street for about three hours.