A Villa Park woman was hospitalized in critical condition after firefighters pulled her from a burning home in the 400 block of North Bierman Avenue.
The fire broke out the evening of Oct. 4. The resident's dog did not survive.
The Villa Park Fire Department said a neighbor called 911 around 8:15 p.m. after seeing smoke and flames coming from the home, according to an official post by the Village of Villa Park. Crews were told a resident was believed to be inside while they were still en route.
Engine 82 arrived to find heavy smoke and fire pouring from a second-floor window. Firefighters deployed multiple hose lines and began searching the home while fighting the blaze. The crew made contact with the resident and tried to get her to exit, but the fire department said it is believed she made her way deeper into the home in an attempt to retrieve her dog.
Villa Park and Lombard crews eventually found the woman and carried her out, handing her off to a waiting medic unit. She was first taken to Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, then transferred to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, where she was listed in critical condition, DuPage Community News reported.
No firefighter injuries were reported. The fire department said both engine companies were fully staffed and in quarters at the time of the call, with no competing ambulance runs. That allowed crews to search for the resident quickly and keep the fire from spreading to neighboring homes.
Fire damage was mostly confined to the second floor.
The Villa Park Fire Investigation Unit examined the scene with help from the DuPage County Fire Investigation Task Force and the Illinois State Fire Marshal's Office K9 unit. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Firefighters from Elmhurst, Lombard, Oak Brook Terrace and York Center responded under mutual aid. The Villa Park Police Department also assisted at the scene.
