Fire at old Illini Tire Co. building causes $140K in damage

DeKALB – About 50% of the building that once housed Illini Tire Co. in DeKalb suffered severe damage from a fire Tuesday night, authorities said Wednesday.

“This fire remains under investigation; however, [it] is not suspicious in nature,” DeKalb Fire Chief Mike Thomas said Wednesday.

The intersection of West Lincoln Highway and Annie Glidden Road in DeKalb was closed temporarily as crews from six different agencies responded to a structure fire.

Firefighters were called to the area at 10:53 p.m. Tuesday and found heavy smoke and fire coming from the roof at the northeast corner of the building, according to a news release from the DeKalb Fire Department. Crews had to force their way into the building.

A city of DeKalb emergency alert sent about 11 p.m. Tuesday asked the public to avoid the area while crews responded.

A large number of emergency vehicles could be seen in the area near the intersection Tuesday, which was closed to traffic. Smoke filled the air as authorities worked to put out the fire.

Illini Tire Co., 1031 W. Lincoln Highway, closed in 2018 after 42 years in business. The building has been vacant since, a DeKalb firefighter confirmed Tuesday night.

No one was inside the building at the time of the fire, authorities said.

Half of the building’s interior and its contents were severely damaged because of the fire, authorities said. The roof structure also was heavily damaged.

No injuries were reported. The fire was brought under control in about 16 minutes, although authorities remained at the site for two hours and 45 minutes, according to the release.

Crews from Cortland, Sycamore, Genoa-Kingston, Maple Park and Burlington assisted, along with the city of DeKalb, ComEd and Nicor Gas.

This story was updated at 2:40 p.m. Wednesday, March 20, 2024, with additional information from the DeKalb Fire Department.