Boy, 5, and grandfather die in Cicero fire

CICERO, Ill. - A 5-year-old boy and his grandfather died early Tuesday after a fire broke out in their home in west suburban Cicero.

Just after midnight, crews responded to calls of a fire at a home in the 4700 block of West 12th Place, according to a statement from the Cicero Fire Department.

Crews found the body of the 5-year-old boy and the man, whose age is currently unknown, in a second-floor unit, officials said. At least four other residents were displaced due to the fire.

The man was identified as David Castellanos, and the boy was identified as David Castellanos III., the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

“This was a very difficult fire,” Cicero Fire Chief Dominic Buscemi said in a statement.

“Our firefighters fought through the flames to get to the upstairs bedroom where we believed a man and a child and possibly others were located but we couldn’t save them,” Buscemi said.

“The child had a faint pulse but died at the scene. The grandfather was deceased in the burning structure and we were able to recover his body,” he said.

One firefighter was taken to MacNeal Hospital with minor injuries, officials said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation but strong wind conditions are believed to have played a role in increasing the strength and size of the flames, officials said.