Dozens of firefighters battled a blaze at a two-story duplex at Seventh Street and East Lincoln Highway Saturday in downtown DeKalb.

Fire Chief Luke Howieson said the emergency response in the frigid cold was expected to remain ongoing until further notice.

“We’re going to be here for a while,” Howieson said as he ran a staging unit across the street in the parking lot of a real estate business.

Temperatures were in the single digits – hovering around 1 degree – Saturday afternoon when crews were called to the 700 block of East Lincoln Highway for a structure fire. Subzero wind chills also made for an unwelcome challenge.

Howieson said details are still coming together, but no injuries have yet been reported. The fire quickly spread throughout the building and into the attic and walls, making it difficult for crews to tame the flames.

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 8

Sycamore firefighters walk toward a two-story duplex to help the emergency response on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, at Seventh Street and East Lincoln Highway in downtown DeKalb. (Kelsey Rettke)

East Lincoln Highway between Seventh and Eighth streets was closed to all traffic for hours, Howieson said. A citywide emergency alert sent at 12:50 p.m. asked the public to avoid the area.

Howieson said a saving grace was that the structure fire happened with the DeKalb Fire Department’s fire station just behind it. The 911 call came in about 12:45 p.m.

“We arrived in about two minutes,” he said.

Crews from Sycamore, Cortland, Genoa-Kingston and DeKalb police also were on the scene to assist in the emergency response. A ComEd truck extended a ladder with an employee to a power pole across the street. Sycamore and DeKalb firefighters used hoses and saws to gain access to the building.

The flames spread too quickly in the walls, Howieson said. So it wasn’t safe for firefighters to remain inside to fight the blaze.

Despite the polar vortex, huge plumes of smoke billowed into the air above the home. Flames shot out of an upstairs window as a firefighter climbed a ladder to open it so crews could spray water into the unit.

It’s not yet clear what caused the fire, Howieson said.

• This is a developing story which will be updated.