A DeKalb man died in an apartment fire Wednesday that authorities said was likely accidentally caused by improper use of smoking materials.

The DeKalb Fire Department responded about 10:03 a.m. to reports of smoke coming from a lower-level apartment in the 900 block of Ridge Drive, according to a news release.

Fire Chief Luke Howieson said his firefighters found an older man unconscious inside the unit of the three-story building, filled with black smoke. Paramedics gave him emergency aid, but the man was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

Authorities haven’t identified the victim, though the man lived in the apartment where the fire originated. He was the apartment’s only inhabitant, Howieson said. The fire started in the living room, according to the release.

The man’s identification hasn’t been disclosed pending notification of the family.

As of Wednesday evening, no one else in the apartment building was displaced, though the fire unit has been deemed uninhabitable, authorities said.

Howieson said some nearby units sustained some smoke damage, but nothing major.

“The cause of the fire was accidental, due to careless use of smoking materials,” according to the fire department.

When asked for further details Wednesday night, Howieson said the cause was likely cigarettes that weren’t properly put out.

He urged local residents to heed tips from experts on fire safety.

“So we don’t have another unfortunate incident,” Howieson said.

Howieson said his crews responded to a 911 call that came from the building reporting smoke. When firefighters arrived, black smoke was coming from the apartment building.

He said first responders were told there wasn’t anyone inside at the time. Protocol for the department includes conducting their own search to be sure, however. That’s when they found the victim, he said.

Crews got the fire under control in about 10 minutes. The fire was limited to one unit.

Paramedics took the man to Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital in DeKalb, where he was later pronounced dead from injuries suffered during the fire and “products of combustion,” according to the release.

An investigation of the fire remains underway by the DeKalb fire and police departments, the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office and the DeKalb County Coroner’s Office.

Authorities estimate the building sustained about $50,000 in damage.

Crews from Cortland, Sycamore, Maple Park and Burlington assisted, along with DeKalb city police, the American Red Cross, ComEd and Nicor.

The department also issued a reminder to the public for fire safety.

“Smoking materials are the leading cause of home fire deaths per the National Fire Protection Association. The risk of dying in a home structure fire caused by smoking materials rises with age.”

It’s the third major reported fire in less than a month in DeKalb County.

Three firefighters suffered minor injuries in a Jan. 26 blaze at a duplex downtown. A Saturday fire destroyed longtime Sycamore staple Tom & Jerry’s restaurant. DeKalb crews have responded to fires in Rochelle and Cortland also within a week.

“We want to remind people to be safe,” Howieson said. “One of the leading cuases of [fire] death is due to smoking materials.”

This story was updated at 7:58 p.m. Feb. 4, 2026. Check back for further updates.