Police officers helped an elderly couple out of a house fire and the two were hospitalized in serious condition Tuesday evening in Harvard.
The Harvard Fire Protection District and Harvard Police Department responded around 7:20 p.m. Tuesday to the 1200 block of Orchard Lane in Harvard for a report of a structure fire.
Police officers arrived first and found heavy smoke inside the home. Two 90-year-old residents were unable to evacuate, according to fire department radio traffic.
Officers entered the home and assisted the couple outside. Paramedics transported a male victim in serious condition to a local hospital.
Paramedics also transported a female victim to a local hospital in critical condition. Both victims are believed to have suffered from smoke inhalation.
Firefighters searched for the origin of the fire and found that it started near the furnace in the basement, according to Harvard Fire Chief Lawrence Kane.
The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal was called to the scene to assist in the fire investigation.