Sheldon man hurt in house fire

PHOTO: A Sheldon man was severely injured by burns in a fire at his home early Thursday morning. Sheldon Fire Co. was paged shortly before 3 a.m. to 1611 E. Ninth St. for the report of a house on fire. On arrival, firefighters found flames coming out the front window and heavy fire in the living room. The occupants already had exited the house. One male occupant had severe burns to his body. Aid was given on scene to the victim by a Sheldon police officer and assistant chief until the Sheldon Community Ambulance Team arrived on scene. Firefighters made a quick exterior attack through the front window quickly knocking down the fire, then made an aggressive interior attack to extinguish the fire quickly and began overhaul looking for hot spots, according to Sheldon fire chief Brad Hindt.
Northwest Iowa

Explosion, fire causes significant damage to Cedar Falls home, yard shed

Firefighters say an explosion and fire caused damage to a home and a yard shed in Cedar Falls on Wednesday afternoon. Fire crews said it happened at around 12:45 p.m. in the 9900 block of Opal Lane. A caller reported having heard an explosion and before seeing a yard shed at the home on fire. When first responders arrived, they said they found smoke and flames coming from the rear of the home and from a yard shed. Everyone was able to make it out of the home safely. But firefighters did save one cat that was inside the home. Paramedics provided emergency care to the cat. Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the fire and prevented it from spreading to nearby homes. The home had “significant smoke, fire and water damage,” according to first responders. No one was injured.
KCRG-TV ABC 9 Cedar Rapids

Muscatine Fire Department responds to fire at power plant

Muscatine firefighters extinguished a fire that broke out early Tuesday morning at a power plant. Firefighters were called to the Muscatine Power & Water Generating Plant shortly after 4 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8 after receiving reports of a fire in the facility's coal yard. Fire officials said they found the blaze around coal handling equipment. After extinguishing the fire, crews said they remained on the scene for four hours, putting out hot spots and checking on the equipment near the fire. Officials said damage was limited because of the facility's sprinkler system, and none of the facility's equipment will need repairs. Damage estimates haven't been completed. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
WQAD-TV ABC 8 Moline

Two Mason City parents supporting Iowa and Tennessee first responders struggling with mental health after daughter’s suicide

VIDEO: Lorena and Scott Bergan started Kaitlin's Heart For Heroes to offer mental health resources to Iowa first responders. After serving as a volunteer firefighter and paramedic in Iowa and Tennessee, Kaitlin Bergan took her own life at the age of 27 after losing her fiancé and battling with PTSD. Her fiancé, Jason, was on the path to becoming an EMT before tragedy unfolded. "He was actually going to a final training to be a certified EMT and stopped upon an accident he came across and stepped out of the vehicle and got hit by a semi," said Scott. They said Kaitlin struggled to cope with the loss, leading to her death on April 27th, 2022. "It’s devastating. I wish people would understand that the Kaitlin they were talking to that whole last year was not healthy and after she lost her fiancé, not the same person at all," said Lorena.
KIMT-TV CBS 3 Mason City