Fire at NIU's Hoffman Estates campus causes $100,000 in damage

A fire at Northern Illinois University's Hoffman Estates satellite campus caused an estimated $100,000 in damage Monday morning, fire officials said.

Hoffman Estates firefighters responded about 8:57 a.m. to a report of a couch on fire inside the two-story building, located at 5555 Trillium Blvd.

All occupants evacuated without assistance, and there were no injuries reported. However, classes at the building were canceled until Wednesday and school officials said Tuesday they were still working to mitigate any leftover smoke and odor.

Hoffman Estates Fire Chief Robert Gorvett said the cause of the fire is believed to be linked to an auxiliary heater.

Fire officials said the building's fire alarm, smoke detectors and sprinkler system all activated properly and fire damage was confined to a small alcove in the building.

Six neighboring fire departments provided assistance to the Hoffman Estates by either responding to the scene or providing station coverage.