Rochelle Man Charged After Small Apartment Fire Displaces Residents

ROCHELLE — A small fire on the second floor of an apartment building in the 900 block of North 2nd Street east of the hospital Thursday morning in Rochelle displaced several residents and led to charges against a 68-year-old man. The Rochelle Fire Department was called around 8 a.m. for smoke in the building, and crews spent about an hour and 40 minutes extinguishing a bathroom fire and looking for possible extension. Around five units were temporarily evacuated, and residents congregated in the first-floor community room during the response. Multiple agencies assisted at the scene. The man was charged with Obstructing a Firefighter or Police Officer and released with a notice to appear.