Residents trying to keep warm during the ice storm has been cited as the cause of a Sycamore garage fire that started early Monday morning.

At 3:08 a.m., the Sycamore Fire Department was called to a house fire at 16017 Bethany Road in rural Sycamore. Residents of the house awoke to smoke in the garage, left the house and called the fire department, according to a Sycamore Fire Department press release.

Firefighters found the smoke coming from the garage and extinguished the fire, which originated in the wall behind the fireplace and extended into the garage, according to the release.

Sycamore Fire Chief Bill Riddle said it is believed the residence let a fire in the fireplace die out before bed, which then lit some wood behind the fireplace which smoldered during the night before catching fire again.

The residents had been without electricity because of the ice storm on Saturday night and used their fireplace during the day, according to the release.

Damage to the residence was minimal and an estimate was not available.

One firefighter was injured on the scene while pulling wallboard and construction materials around where the fire was and strained some muscles, Riddle said. The firefighter was treated at Kishwaukee Community Hospital and released.

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