Streamwood house fire kills 1 resident, injures another; firefighter also hurt

A deadly fire in northwest suburban Streamwood trapped the homeowners as they called for help in the early morning hours.

One neighbor who lives four doors down said she heard someone screaming for help and came outside to find the front of the home engulfed in flames. The home is now a complete loss.

The Streamwood Fire Department responded to the report of a house fire around 4:45 a.m. in the 100 block of Southwood Circle. When they arrived, they found heavy fire and smoke on both the first and second floors of the home.

"I heard somebody screaming, 'Help me!'" said neighbor Julie Siegel. "I kept hearing it over and over, which got me out of bed."

When she looked out her bedroom window, she saw the fire.

"I said to my husband, quick, call 911, and the fire department was just coming down the street," she said.

Fire Chief Mike Meyers said the flames were incredibly hot when his company arrived.

"Some of our firefighters' gear was actually damaged from the flames. It was so hot," he said.

The residents of the home were trapped in the fire. As some firefighters attacked the flames with hoses and ladders, others searched for victims. Two victims were found; a 75-year-old woman died at the scene from their injuries, while a man in his 70s was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital for treatment. His condition was not immediately known.

Neighbors said the victims were husband and wife.

"It's just very unsettling, I just feel so bad," said Siegel. "I was with this poor lady when she came and found out that her mom passed away. I just hugged her and got her some water."

Meyers said processing the aftermath of a fire like this is tough for the whole department.

"We offer our condolences to the family and friends of our residents this we take this hard here at the fire department," he said.  "Our guys are… we don't take these too well."

One firefighter was treated for minor injuries and released at the scene. Meyers said they're still investigating what could have started the fire, but do not believe it was suspicious.