DeKalb Fire Department

Work is ongoing at the site of DeKalb's fourth fire station Wednesday at 1130 South Malta Road in DeKalb.

The DeKalb Fire Department commemorated the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 Wednesday. The Patriot Day ceremony paid tribute to the lives lost in the terrorist attacks. The event included brief remarks, a presentation of colors and a flag raising.

The DeKalb Fire Department will hold a Patriots Day Ceremony Wednesday to honor the memories and sacrifices of those who died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks 23 years ago. All are welcome.

DeKalb residents still reeling from the loss of their homes during a Husky Ridge Apartments fire this week got some help from volunteers and area agencies Friday during an emergency relief event that provided donated supplies.

Dozens of DeKalb residents were temporarily displaced Wednesday night as crews worked to battle a fire that broke out in a three-story apartment complex on Kimberly Drive on the city’s north side.

Multiple DeKalb County agencies responded to a fire at an apartment building on Kimberly Drive in DeKalb Wednesday night. The fire displaced dozens, authorities with the DeKalb Fire Department said, though no injuries were reported.

The city of DeKalb and its fire department broke ground Friday on a fourth fire station, bringing emergency responders closer to an end of town that will see lots of growth in the years to come, city officials said.

More people in 2023 called 911 for the DeKalb Fire Department than ever before, according to data released this week that shows another record of calls for service amid rumblings of a new fire station.

The city of DeKalb has proposed a $3.6 million contract with local developer Irving Construction to build a fourth fire station on South Malta Road, documents show. A vote is expected at Monday's City Council meeting.

DeKalb firefighters were called to an electrical fire inside a Northern Illinois University building shortly before midnight Wednesday at Wirtz Hall, authorities said.

DeKalb firefighters responded to an electrical fire in the basement of a Northern Illinois University dormitory on Friday, authorities said.

A DeKalb resident suffered serious injuries Friday after the car they were driving collided head-on with a tree in DeKalb Township, authorities said.

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

DeKalb County Crime Stoppers are seeking information for an ongoing police investigation after a fire reported at Suburban Apartments in unincorporated DeKalb, authorities said Friday.

DeKalb city leaders recently approved a development plan for a new fire station on South Malta Road, meant to help address emergency response times for south side residents.

Update: A Saturday fire at a DeKalb Wendy’s fast food restaurant caused an estimated $40,000 worth of damage and left the building temporarily uninhabitable, city officials said.

Fire Chief Mike Thomas said the need for a fourth fire station is evident and would allow for first responders to get to emergencies more quickly than they can right now. The plans next head to the DeKalb City Council for consideration, expected Feb. 12.

A garage fire in DeKalb Monday caused about $5,000 in damages, though authorities said they believe the incident was an accident.

The new three-year agreement, as authorized, provides for a number of changes, including an increase in the residency diameter, minimum station staffing and wages.

DeKalb police and firefighters hit the hardwood Monday to snag a victory over faculty from DeKalb School District 428 schools in a friendly game of basketball Monday.

DeKalb police and firefighters hit the hardwood Monday snagging a victory over faculty from DeKalb School District 428 schools in a friendly game of basketball. The annual charity event brought the community together to collect toy donations for children and families in need.

The DeKalb Fire Department recently announced its 27th annual Red Wreath Program, a holiday season campaign meant to encourage families to remember to put fire safety first this time of year.

Update: One DeKalb resident was displaced Sunday after a fire in their second-floor unit in The Terraces apartment complex at Annie Glidden Road and Lincoln Highway in DeKalb, authorities said.

Authorities responded to a report of a burning smell in the maintenance garage at 2120 Pleasant St., owned by local telecommunications provider, Frontier Communications.

DeKalb firefighters responded to car on fire at South Fifth and Franklin streets midday Monday.

Three people, including a child, were hospitalized after a two-car crash in rural DeKalb Saturday, authorities said.

DeKalb firefighters responded to a kitchen fire inside a home on East Taylor Street in DeKalb Monday night.

A former manager of Fanatico Italian restaurant whose family owns the building in DeKalb allegedly paid two men to help him set fire to the place a week ago, and all three men face felony arson charges, court records show.

Update: DeKalb firefighters responded to a fire at a vacant apartment building on the city’s north side Friday afternoon.

What started a fire inside the former Fanatico Italian restaurant remains unknown, as investigators continue to piece together what happened Friday, authorities said.

Update: Crews responded to a structure fire Friday in the building that once housed Fanatico Italian restaurant.

With a heat wave, here are multiple free places to cool down across DeKalb County for those in need of respite from the weather:

The new fire engine makes for the second of two vehicles the DeKalb Fire Department has acquired since October 2022, officials said.

A dog died in a house fire in DeKalb Saturday, and witnesses credited the dog with alerting its family to the emergency, authorities said.

DeKalb Fire Chief Mike Thomas said this week that building a fourth fire station could help first responders shorten 911 call time on the city’s southwest side to 4 minutes, a gold standard for the DeKalb Fire Department.

Two DeKalb residents were displaced from their home recently after a kitchen fire authorities ruled was an accident, according to the DeKalb Fire Department.

An outbuilding burned down in rural DeKalb Sunday, though fire officials ruled the fire accidental, authorities said.

A jammed elevator motor which filled the elevator with smoke caused a brief fire response to a downtown Sycamore bank Wednesday evening, said Sycamore Fire Chief Bart Gilmore.

A mulch fire in front of Dental Fields in DeKalb on Friday was likely caused by dry conditions, a DeKalb Fire Department official said. Fire officials are asking residents to use caution with open flames as a regional dry spell continues.

The Sycamore City Council recently considered proposals to renovate Fire Station 1 or build a new one the city’s south side, two options that each would cost more than $11 million.

The DeKalb Fire Department’s emergency response calls in 2022 remained steady compared to 2021, prompting the department to direct DeKalb city leaders to shore up vehicle, equipment and staffing needs in the city’s 2023 budget.

Three DeKalb residents are without a home Wednesday after a Tuesday night house fire left the residence uninhabitable, said authorities.

Loved ones and friends are remembering former DeKalb Fire Chief, U.S. Navy veteran and Northern Illinois University football star Albert Riippi as an old-school community man who lived earnestly by the code “service before self.”

Three DeKalb residents were displaced after an overnight apartment fire on West Hillcrest Drive that DeKalb fire investigators say was caused unintentionally by misuse of smoking materials.

Two DeKalb residents are without a home after a house fire Sunday left two dogs dead and injured four firefighters, according to the DeKalb Fire Department.

DeKalb city leaders this week approved a plan to upgrade a 30-year-old DeKalb Fire Department alert system for $124,500, meant to bolster emergency response technology used for communications between departments.

A structure fire at Raynor Door Authority on the city’s south side Thursday has been ruled accidental, according to DeKalb Fire Department officials.

As Illinois’ gun laws evolve, those who lived through the Feb. 14, 2008 mass shooting at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb offer their thoughts on new legislation: "It could help. It might not," said NIU grad Kevin Stromberg, a shooting survivor.

It’s been 15 years since a lone gunman stepped into a Northern Illinois University lecture hall and fatally shot five students, wounding dozens of others and leaving a mark some say won’t ever go away. Survivors and first responders reflect:

DeKalb and Sycamore fire department crews sent aid down south to Carus Chemical plant in La Salle last week as firefighters from across the region battled the chemical blaze for hours.