Streator man rescued from fire, flown to regional hospital

A Streator man was rescued from a house fire Monday morning at 410 N. Shabbona St., then eventually flown by helicopter to a regional hospital.

Streator firefighters responded shortly after 11 a.m. to a large amount of smoke and a resident standing outside the house, notifying firefighters a man still was in house searching for his dog, according to a news release from the Streator Fire Department.

After an extensive search, firefighters found the occupant in a bedroom with the door closed. Crews removed him from the home by dragging him through a hallway and down the stairs. Once outside, Streator Fire paramedics and EMTs cared for the victim.

The victim was taken to OSF Center for Health-Streator, then flown by helicopter to a regional hospital.

There were no injuries to first responders, however, a dog found in the home died after unsuccessful life-saving measures were taken.

The cause of the fire is undetermined but not suspicious, the fire department said. The home had heavy fire and water damage and is considered uninhabitable. The American Red Cross is providing assistance to the displaced family.

After the rescue, firefighters worked to extinguish the fire, bringing it under control in 30 minutes. Fire crews, including Grand Ridge and Reading fire departments, were on scene for about 2 hours.

The Streator Fire Department also was assisted by Vermilion Valley Regional Emergency Communications, Illinois American Water, Nicor, ComEd and the Streator Police Department.