Sycamore Fire Department Responds to Commercial Structure Fire
SYCAMORE — A long-time community restaurant was heavily damaged by a fire early Saturday morning at Tom and Jerry’s in the 1600 block of DeKalb Avenue. The Sycamore Fire Department was called around 4 a.m. for reports of smoke in the building and found smoke showing on arrival. The incident was upgraded to a box alarm, bringing in multiple neighboring agencies.
Fire crews made entry and began an interior attack, but were forced to exit due to high heat, heavy smoke and concerns about structural stability. Operations were then shifted to a defensive strategy. The fire was brought under control by about 6 a.m., and crews were released around 7 a.m. as the investigation began.
One firefighter was transported to Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital with minor injuries. No other injuries were reported. Damage is preliminarily estimated to exceed $1.5 million, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The restaurant was founded in the 1970s by Northern Illinois University graduates Tom Rosenow and Jerry Blessing and was the last remaining Tom and Jerry’s in the DeKalb–Sycamore area. In a social media post following the fire, the restaurant said, “We are absolutely heartbroken and also overwhelmed with all of the love and support,” adding they were thankful for everyone who reached out.
