DeKalb Apartment Fire Claims One Life

DEKALB — One person died after an apartment fire Tuesday morning on West Ridge Drive in DeKalb. The DeKalb Fire Department says they were called at 10:03 a.m. to 919 W. Ridge Drive and found smoke and fire coming from an apartment 7. Firefighters brought the fire under control in about 10 minutes and found a victim inside the apartment, who was given advanced life support care and taken to Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital, where the person later died from injuries related to the fire and smoke. No other civilians or firefighters were injured, and no residents were displaced, though the apartment was deemed uninhabitable. Damage was estimated at $50,000. Investigators determined the fire was accidental and caused by careless use of smoking materials. The name of the victim is being withheld pending family notification.