DeKalb kitchen fire displaces 6 residents

DeKALB – An early morning kitchen fire in DeKalb Sunday left half a dozen residents without a home, authorities said.

No residents were home at the time of the fire, authorities said. But six were displaced and relocated with relatives. No injuries were reported.

The DeKalb Fire Department was called for reports of smoke alarms going off at 3:34 a.m. Sunday in an apartment building in the 1000 block of West Lincoln Highway, according to a news release from the department.

When crews arrived, they smelled smoke coming from the exterior of the building, saw a damaged window, and discovered a door to the apartment unit was hot to the touch.

Authorities said they found the fire in the kitchen, and quickly put it out. The fire was under control in about 15 minutes, though firefighters remained at the building for about 90 minutes, according to the release.

Once the building was checked for hotspots and ventilated, fire crews determined the building was uninhabitable due to fire, smoke and heat damage.

Authorities said the fire, which caused an estimated $30,000 in damages, was accidental.