House catches fire early Monday in Sycamore, declared total loss

A Sycamore house went up in flames early Monday morning, according to a news release from the Sycamore Fire Department. The house at 143 N. Cross St. and its contents were declared a total loss of around $110,000. The home was already engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived around 3 a.m. The occupants were out of the house, and no injuries were reported, the department said. Firefighters from Cortland, DeKalb and Genoa-Kingston assisted in fighting the blaze, the release said. The cause of the fire is under investigation. DeKalb firefighters also battled a structure fire, but on Saturday night. The damage from that fire was contained to a single apartment, according to a news release from the DeKalb Fire Department. Firefighters responded to Lincoln Towers Apartments, 1100 W. Lincoln Highway, around 9:30 p.m. Residents were already evacuating the building, the release said. Firefighters found a grease fire burning on top of a stove in one apartment and put it out with a fire extinguisher. Residents of the other apartments in the building returned home after an hour, and the fire department helped residents of the apartment where the fire originated find temporary housing, the release said. Smoke and fire damage were contained to the one apartment. Damage was estimated at $15,000.