Police were unable to determine the cause of a structure fire that broke out at Old Orchard Place Townhouses, 1001 W. Lincoln Highway, Friday night.

A press release from the DeKalb Fire Department said the fire originated in the attic above an unoccupied apartment.

There were no reported injuries to civilians or emergency responders.

Authorities estimated $250,000 worth of damage was caused to the apartment building.

Residents were alerted of the fire by neighbors and the smell of smoke throughout the building.

“Someone knocked on the door, and the smoke was a clear indicator,” said sophomore Fred Zimmer, a resident at the complex.

Old Orchard resident Jeff Greenwald called 911 at 10:16 p.m. when he was coming home.

“I was walking back from the computer lab and I saw a lot of smoke billowing from the end of the building, and I walked around to the back and saw smoke coming from the roof, and then I saw fire,” Greenwald said.

It took firefighters 45 minutes to get the blaze under control, which was contained to four apartment units, according to the release.

Emergency crews from Sycamore, Cortland, Waterman, Hinckley, Genoa-Kingston, Malta and Maple Park responded to the call.

Displaced residents were initially held at the Stevens Building, located behind Old Orchard on the NIU campus.

Some residents were able to re-enter their apartments early Saturday morning.

Greenwald said he was able to go back inside around 1 a.m. Saturday and that there was no physical damage, but that the building smelled like smoke for “at least a day” after the fire.

Greenwald said that while he and his roommates were able to re-enter their unit, at least five apartment doors in the building have signs warning against entry.

Dan Clifford, senior applied sociology major and an Old Orchard resident, has been temporarily displaced by the incident.

Clifford said he is staying with friends until he is allowed to return.

“They said we would have to be out until at least Wednesday,” Clifford said.

A roommate of Clifford’s, Garret Jackson, is staying in Stevenson Towers residence hall.

Jackson said Old Orchard owner Mason Properties arranged for him and another roommate to stay on campus.

“It’s an inconvenience, but not a huge inconvenience,” Jackson said. “It’s fortunate no one was hurt.”

The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the DeKalb Fire Department.

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