Propane Heaters Cause 2 Separate House Fires New Year's Weekend

AURORA, IL — Two Aurora house fires in three days have been the result from someone attempting to thaw frozen pipes with a propane heater. The second incident, which took place Sunday, caused injury to one fire fighter.

Fire fighters were called at 10:54 a.m. to 401 Pierce Street near downtown. There, they found the two-story, single-family home with heavy smoke. The man who called 911 tried to put out the fire himself in the basement before calling authorities.

The extreme cold temperatures upgraded the response to a third alarm, which brought 47 fire fighters to the scene. There, crews saw fire throughout the walls end eventually pulled out of the building, focusing on defense, according to a couple of Facebook updates from the Aurora Fire Department.

One fire fighter was injured and taken to an area hospital. His condition, which is not life-threatening, is not known that this time, according to the press release. Five people who were in the home at the time safely got out, and there are 7 residents in total. They'll be staying with family in the area, and the home has been deemed uninhabitable. The estimated cost for damages is $175,000.

In Friday's fire on Monomoy Street, there were no injuries, but estimated damage done was $125,000. Fire officials urge homeowners with frozen pipes to call a professional plumber, and never attempt to thaw them with a blowtorch.

Photos courtesy of Aurora Fire Department