Aurora police rescue five from burning home; officer among six injured

Aurora police officers rescued five people who were trapped inside a burning home early Saturday morning on the city's east side, authorities said.

Six people were injured in the blaze, including one man in his 30s who was listed in critical condition with severe smoke inhalation, as well as a police officer who suffered minor smoke inhalation, according to Aurora fire officials.

Officials said the fire was reported at 6:12 a.m. Saturday in a two-story multifamily home in the 0-100 block of Jackson Street.

Police arrived first and found several residents hanging out of two second-floor windows in the front of the building, with heavy smoke rapidly overtaking them. The officers found a ladder in the backyard, which was used to rescue five victims, officials said.

Fire crews arrived and began extinguishing the fire and searching for additional victims. During the search, they located a man unconscious and not breathing in the home's basement. He was pulled from the home and taken in critical condition to an area hospital, authorities said.

Four additional residents — men ages 33 and 47 and girl ages 14 and 15 — suffered minor burns and smoke inhalation.

Eight people were left homeless because of the fire, officials said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by Aurora police arson investigators and Aurora Fire Department investigators, with assistance from the Office of the State Fire Marshal.