The weekend’s low temperatures caused water pipes to burst, closing some downtown DeKalb businesses.

Jeff McMaster, DeKalb Fire Department assistant fire chief, said the Fire Department reacted to a dispatch call early Saturday to Ducky’s Formal Wear, 112 E. Lincoln Highway.

“We received a call about a frozen pipe and water flowing in at the Ducky’s store,” said DeKalb Fire Chief Eric Hicks. “Our people responded to the area, shut down the system and found a broken sprinkler pipe. Our code officials are working with the owner in order to get that taken care of.”

According to Fire Department officials, the source of the broken water sprinkler was located above Ducky’s on the floor owned by Otto’s management.

Otto’s, 118 E. Lincoln Highway, has been shut down due to safety concerns since Saturday. Repairs to the venue’s sprinkler system still need to be made.

“What’s unfortunate is that we’re working with a building that’s very old and that has been through several incarnations,” said Otto’s sound engineer Carl Nelson. “There’s always a risk [with] aging infrastructure and its ability to make it through hard winters, especially the insanity we’ve seen this year.

“Staff and management have always done their absolute best to keep things in as good of shape as finances will allow, but unfortunately, lately people seem less willing to support live music if it’s a name they haven’t heard of.

“It’s always a sad day when old problems interfere with a great venue. Hopefully a solution is not far off.”

Affected by the water damage, Ducky’s temporarily moved and stored most of its textile merchandise in a rented trailer. It was Ducky’s owner Diane Hosey who found the flooded business.

“I took about four steps in … I turned to turn on the lights and you could hear water dripping and you could see 4 inches of water all over the back [room],” Hosey said. “It was coming through the ceiling…. It was a sprinkler line that busted directly above our store. It dribbled all over our sewing machines, our steamer; it was everything….

“We rented a trailer and we were bagging dresses and getting anything in the store that hadn’t got wet yet.

“Otto’s has the whole [building], except we rent the main floor. They own the whole building. We feel like we got hit by a truck.”

Otto’s general manager Tony Poulos was not available for comment.