DeKalb firefighters braved freezing temperatures Monday morning to extinguish a house fire that caused an estimated $25,000 in damage.

The fire started in the basement of the house, 927 State St., and continued up through the west wall.

The fire, which broke out about 9:30 a.m., was under control in about 30 minutes and no one was injured, fire officials said.

A total of 27 firefighters from DeKalb and Sycamore responded to the scene.

One engine company was sent from Cortland to occupy one of DeKalb’s fire stations in case other calls came in, shift commander Lt. Dave O’Donnell said.

Homeowners David and April Scroggins were home at the time of the blaze, assistant fire chief Bruce Harrison said.

The home’s occupants attempted to thaw frozen water pipes in an exterior wall with an electric heat gun, which caused the surrounding combustible material to ignite, fire officials said.

“This is typical when weather gets cold; pipes freeze and you have got to be real careful how you go about thawing them,” Harrison said.

The homeowners are expected to be displaced for at least a few days, O’Donnell said.

The fire left a large hole on the home’s west side wall, which stretched from the basement to the roof. A pile of debris gathered on the icy ground.

“If you get a fire in the wall, it can easily go from one level of the house all the way up into the roof,” Harrison said.