logo
Aurora firefighters respond to four separate structure fires over July 4 weekend

Aurora firefighters respond to four separate structure fires over July 4 weekend

Chicago Tribune08-07-2025
The Aurora Fire Department responded to four separate structure fires across the city over the Fourth of July weekend, the department said in a news release Monday.
Three of the four buildings were occupied at the time of the fires, but none of the incidents resulted in any fatalities, the department said.
The first fire occurred on July 4, with crews responding at around 4:39 p.m. to a trash fire that had spread to a wooden fence and brick exterior of an apartment building on the 1300 block of Monomoy Street on Aurora's West Side, per the release. A male resident sustained minor injuries during the fire and was treated on scene.
Later that day, Aurora firefighters responded at around 10:25 p.m. to calls that a residence on the 1100 block of Pearl Street on Aurora's East Side was fully engulfed in flames, with possible explosions and people trapped inside, according to the release.
Crews conducted an aggressive fire attack and search efforts, bringing the fire under control in about 30 minutes, the release said. The nine occupants of the residence escaped without injury, and a total of 10 residents were displaced. Victim Services and the Red Cross provided assistance.
The following day at around 1:33 p.m., Aurora firefighters responded to a report of heavy smoke and flames coming from the garage of a home on the 2400 block of Blue Spruce Lane, per the release. No one was inside during the fire, the release noted, and the home was deemed habitable.
That evening at around 9:48 p.m., crews responded to another fire in the garage of a home, in which firefighters rescued a woman, 35, from a second-floor bedroom of the home on the 900 block of Four Seasons Boulevard. She was taken to the hospital with smoke inhalation, and the home was deemed uninhabitable, with residents finding temporary housing on their own, officials said.
Aurora Fire Chief David McCabe said in the release that it was 'an extremely busy holiday weekend' for Aurora's firefighters, medics and dispatchers, and cautioned residents to exercise caution when using grills, open-flame equipment and other ignition sources, particularly in hot and dry weather.
The causes of all the fires remain under active investigation, officials said.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Sister of missing Texas woman Brandi Wells continues to seek answers in her case after nearly 20 years
Sister of missing Texas woman Brandi Wells continues to seek answers in her case after nearly 20 years

NBC News

time8 minutes ago

  • NBC News

Sister of missing Texas woman Brandi Wells continues to seek answers in her case after nearly 20 years

The memories of celebrating the Fourth of July in 2006 stand out to Samantha Rodriguez. She was only 17 years old then, but the holiday was one she spent with her half-sister, 23-year-old Brandi Wells. They attended a party called the '4th of July Jubilee,' hosted by the city of Schertz, Texas. There was food and fireworks, but most important was the time they spent together — something they didn't often get to do since they lived in different parts of Texas. 'It was at the city park. You know, like after hours for the fireworks. She had gone there, and she was hanging out with some guy,' Samantha laughed. 'But we were hanging out.' Samantha told Dateline that a little over a month later, she learned Brandi was missing. ''What do you mean she's missing?'' Samantha remembered thinking. 'I had just seen her, and 30 days later, it seems I was getting a phone call saying that she was missing.' It was the first week of August 2006. Brandi was just weeks away from starting classes again at Trinity Valley Community College in Brownsboro, Texas. She wanted to become a teacher. But first, she visited her mother in Tyler, Texas. On the evening of August 2, she went out to meet some friends. 'She came in, she changed clothes, and said she was going to the club with some friends,' Brandi's mother, Ellen Tant, told NBC affiliate KETK. She assumed Brandi was going somewhere in town. Little did she know that Brandi was heading to Longview, about 45 minutes away. According to KETK, security footage shows Brandi entering a nightclub called Graham Central Station — now Electric Cowboy — around 10:36 p.m. and checking in at the counter. People inside would later tell police that Brandi was asking for money for gas. She was inside the club for nearly two hours and was seen on tape walking alone out toward the parking lot around 12:30 a.m. The night she went missing, Brandi was wearing a dark, floral-print tube top, rust-colored pants with strapless high-heeled sandals, according to TheDoeNetwork. A few hours after she left the club, a black 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix coupe with Texas plates was found abandoned on the side of Interstate 20. It wasn't until days later that police connected the car to Brandi Wells. According to KETK, Brandi's purse and a gas can her family believed did not belong to her were found in the trunk. They also reported that the driver's side seat of the car had been adjusted for someone taller than Brandi, but because it took days to link the car to her disappearance, authorities didn't know if that happened before or after the car was abandoned. Dateline reached out multiple times to the Longview Police Department to discuss Brandi's case, but has not received a response. At just 17 years old, Samantha could hardly comprehend the thought of her sister's disappearance. 'I was almost dismissive of it. It was the first tragedy I had ever experienced,' she said. 'Tragedies only happened in movies, and I was so not believing it.' Samantha says Brandi was an incredibly bubbly, carefree, and trusting person. She remembers when she and Brandi were both living in San Antonio, Brandi would pick her up so they could go shopping and try on clothes together, or go to the movies and CD stores — do sisterly things. Of course, there were things they couldn't do together, due to their age difference. One thing, in particular. ''I can't wait until you're old enough and we can go clubbing together,'' Samantha recalled Brandi telling her. 'And so that's one of the things I think about, because that's how she went missing.' Samantha says Brandi's disappearance has made her more vigilant in her own life. 'Whenever I was going out to dance halls in San Antonio, I made it a point to talk to all the bar [staff] and bouncers. I didn't want to be somewhere that people did not know who I was,' she said. Grown now, with a husband and three children, Samantha still maintains that vigilance. She keeps a window-breaking device in her vehicle and a flotation device in her trunk. And she has her phone set up — with authorities in mind. 'I keep my husband's phone number right on my screen so all you have to do is press the power button,' she said. 'I've almost become a very paranoid person about safety.' Samantha is now studying to become a teacher — just as Brandi was when she disappeared. It makes her feel connected to the sister she didn't get enough time with. 'Being given a sister, when you've never had one before — it's like getting a puppy for the first time,' Samantha said. 'I was so giddy about just having a sister.' Today, she is just hoping for answers. Brandi was around 5' tall and weighed 125-130 lbs. at the time of her disappearance, with blonde or strawberry-blonde hair and blue eyes. She would be 42 years old today. If you have any information about Brandi's disappearance, please contact the Longview Police Department at 903-237-1199.

Highland Park residents and first responders enjoy 2025 National Night Out ‘We love our community‘
Highland Park residents and first responders enjoy 2025 National Night Out ‘We love our community‘

Chicago Tribune

time3 days ago

  • Chicago Tribune

Highland Park residents and first responders enjoy 2025 National Night Out ‘We love our community‘

At a new venue this year, Highland Park Police hosted the community at National Night Out on Tuesday, Aug. 5. Previous National Night Out events in Highland Park were held at City Hall, 1707 St. Johns Avenue. For 2025, banner sunset weather at nearly 80 degrees prevailed at Hidden Creek Aquapark, 1220 Fredrickson Place. Attendees could swim, enjoy free treats including pizza slices, popsicles, and drinks, visit the community table midway for more complimentary items, dance to disc jockey music, pet animals in the petting zoo, try the touch a truck opportunity, and watch a drone demonstration. Climbing into the driver's seat of a touch a truck vehicle was Wylie Boyd, 10, a rising fifth-grader from Highland Park. 'We love our community,' said Wylie's mother, Melanie Boyd, of the Highland Park High School Class of 1995. 'It's nice to get together and have a nice, safe, fun environment and activity where everybody can have fun of all ages,' Melanie Boyd said. Highland Park's National Night Out was among many held in Lake County. As a parent, 'We want everybody to feel safe in the community,' Boyd added. The opening ceremony featured the Highland Park Police Honor Guard with national anthem vocalist Kaylyn Taylor Baldwin. Highland Park Patrol Officer Travis Dragicevich, a (USMC) United States Marine Corps veteran with military service years from 1997 to 2001, held the American flag for honor guard duty. It feels 'wonderful' to have the honor to carry the American flag, Dragicevich said. The Community – The Anti-Drug Coalition (CTAD) community partner table had a midway presence, staffed by Lindsay Sweet of Lincolnshire, CTAD executive director, the parent of Hadley Sweet, 13, a rising eighth-grader. Hadley also helped that evening, passing out inflatable beach balls to event attendees. 'We try to get our message out as often as possible,' Lindsay Sweet said. 'It's important to talk to kids about making healthy choices and that conversation begins when they're little.' The swimming pool, tube slides, and splash pad play area were busy with patrons. Asahel Salmeron, 4, of Gurnee, went down the kiddie water slide for younger children. 'It's really nice what they're doing for the community,' said Asahel's father, Pablo Salmeron, about National Night Out. 'The kids have fun, we're really grateful. 'And thanks to the police officers for what they do for the community,' Pablo Salmeron said. The Highland Park Fourth of July parade shooting took place in 2022, resulting in the deaths of seven people with many injuries. 'It was very difficult for a lot of people,' Salmeron recalled. 'I did have some friends who were affected by that … they lost their family member(s). But eventually, we've got to move on and something like this (National Night Out) helps the community out, definitely, so thank you,' Asahel's father added. Levi Ruby, 10, a rising fifth-grader from Highland Park, climbed into the seat of a large red fire engine in the touch a truck-secured parking lot. 'I really want to say that I appreciate the first responders,' said Levi's father, Matt Ruby. 'We love seeing them out here, and it's so nice when they can come and show skills to the kids.' School starts this month for Levi and for many other Lake County children. Summer has 'gone way too fast,' Matt Ruby said. 'I can't believe it.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store