June 17, 2025
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DeKalb bathroom fire injures 1, displaces 16

Early morning fire Tuesday on DeKalb’s north side

By Megann Horstead
A DeKalb Fire Department chief's vehicle sits outside 908 Greenbrier Road, DeKalb, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. A fire started in the early morning in a bathroom, leaving the building uninhabitable, injuring one person and displacing 16 residents, authorities said.

A DeKalb Fire Department chief's vehicle sits outside 908 Greenbrier Road, DeKalb, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. A fire started in the early morning in a bathroom, leaving the building uninhabitable, injuring one person and displacing 16 residents, authorities said. (Mark Busch)

DeKALB – An early morning fire in DeKalb Tuesday left one person injured more than a dozen residents without a home, authorities said.

The fire was reported around 5:42 a.m. Tuesday in a building in the 900 block of Greenbrier Road, according to a news release from the DeKalb Fire Department.

Firefighters found smoke visible from the back building and edges of the roof, and upgraded the 911 response for the structure fire.

Authorities said the fire started in a bathroom and spread quickly before firefighters arrived. The cause of the fire remains under investigation as of Tuesday.

The walkway post of 908 Greenbrier Road, DeKalb, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. A fire started in the early morning in a bathroom, leaving the building uninhabitable, injuring one person and displacing 16 residents, authorities said.

The walkway post of 908 Greenbrier Road, DeKalb, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. A fire started in the early morning in a bathroom, leaving the building uninhabitable, injuring one person and displacing 16 residents, authorities said. (Mark Busch)

Crews brought the fire under control within 25 minutes, authorities said. Firefighters also searched the building for hotspots to and to ventilate the space.

The building was deemed uninhabitable due to fire, water and smoke damage, according to the release. Authorities estimated that the building sustained $50,000 in damage.

Authorities said 16 residents were displaced due the fire, and various agencies are in the process of helping them to find housing in their time of need.

Multiple agencies assisted in the response, including DeKalb city and DeKalb County dispatch teams, and crews from Sycamore, Cortland, Genoa-Kingston and Maple Park.

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