DeKalb Apartment Fire Causes $20,000 in Damage

DEKALB – An accidental kitchen fire caused an estimated $20,000 in damage Tuesday afternoon at an apartment at 729 Fotis Drive in DeKalb. The DeKalb Fire Department was dispatched at 4:22 p.m. and found smoke coming from the front door of apartment 8, where a fire had spread from the oven into the kitchen. Firefighters used 500 gallons of water to extinguish the fire within 15 minutes of arrival. Crews searched the apartment and checked the neighboring unit, finding no occupants. The fire did not spread beyond the kitchen, but smoke and heat had to be removed from the building. One person was evaluated for minor smoke inhalation at the scene and declined further treatment or transport to a hospital. The occupant was displaced after the apartment was declared uninhabitable under city code. Property management and family members helped with relocation. No firefighters were injured. Sycamore, Cortland, Maple Park and Genoa-Kingston fire agencies assisted at the scene while additional firefighters covered DeKalb stations. Three other emergency calls were handled during the incident.