Five taken to hospital following care facility fire in Guttenberg

Five residents of an assisted care facility in Guttenberg were taken to the hospital after a fire Thursday night. The Guttenberg Fire Department arrived at the group home to find it engulfed in fire at 8:33 p.m. on 523 N 2nd St. Crews determined smoke and fire was coming from the south end of the building. Upon arrival, first responders were told five people live in the facility. At the time of the fire. staff at the facility had not located these residents. First responders found four residents outside the building. One resident was found inside. All five were assisted by EMS and taken to the Guttenberg Hospital for evaluation and treatment. Current conditions are not known. The fire department cleared the scene at 1:30 a.m. Friday. Crews returned at 2 a.m. for hot spots and fire flare ups. The Iowa State Fire Marshal's office is assisting in the ongoing investigation.
KWWL-TV NBC 7 Waterloo

Iowa City man arrested after allegedly starting fire, assaulting responding officer, firefighter

An Iowa City man has been arrested after police say he pushed an officer and a firefighter and threatened their lives after they responded to a fire he had set intentionally. In a press release, police said Parker Hawkins, 26, was arrested and faces charges of assault and reckless use of a fire for the incident that happened at about 2 p.m. on Tuesday in the 2700 block of Wayne Avenue. Police said Hawkins intentionally started a fire, by lighting some papers on fire on top of the stove in his kitchen, to get firefighters and police to respond. When an officer and firefighter were walking out of the apartment, police say Hawkins shoved them and threatened their lives.
KCRG-TV ABC 9 Cedar Rapids

Winterset family supported after house fire

The Winterset community is supporting a local first responder and his family after losing their home to a house fire earlier in this week. "I heard the fire alarms in the fire station going off in right next to the fire station. there were a lot of trucks that went out. So, I was very curious like, 'Oh gosh, something bad happened,'" said Elysabeth Grose. Grose's pet grooming business is a few doors down for the Winterset Fire Department. She claimed she knew it wouldn't be long after the sirens started around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday before the community would find out what happened. "It's a small town, so word gets around," Grose said. The home, which was fully engulfed by flames, belonged to Jeff Johnston, Winterset's assistant fire chief.
WOI-TV ABC 3 Ames

Davenport Fire joins ‘Keep the Wreath Red’ campaign

The Davenport Fire Department has joined the public safety campaign known as “Keep the Wreath Red,” which promotes fire safety as thousands of Davenport residents decorate for the holidays. Davenport firefighters will place a wreath decorated with a string of red lights at Station 3, 3506 N. Harrison St., on Thursday, Dec. 1. If Davenport Fire crews respond to a home fire, firefighters will replace one of the red light bulbs with a white bulb, a news release says. “The wreath is a visual reminder that the holiday season can be a dangerous time for fires in the home. Those who pass the fire station will have a subtle reminder that a home fire is always a possibility,” said Fire Chief Mike Carlsten. “The hope is that the wreath will subconsciously prompt a reminder to our citizens to practice holiday fire and home heating safety.”
KLJB-TV FOX 18 Davenport

Space heater may be to blame for Des Moines house fire

Three people were able to safely escape a burning Des Moines home early Thursday morning and officials believe they know what caused the fire. The residents of a home in the 1500 block of 17th Street were awakened by the fire just before 5:30 a.m. Lt. Jamie Sauter with the Des Moines Fire Department said they exited the home before firefighters arrived on the scene. Smoke was coming from three sides of the home and flames were coming from one side of the home when fire crews got there, said Lt. Sauter. After attacking the flames from outside, firefighters were able to gain access to the inside of the home and knock down the fire. Cpt. Chris Clement with the DMFD said it appeared the fire may have been caused by a space heater. He wasn’t sure whether there were any working smoke alarms in the home.
WHO-TV NBC 13 Des Moines

North Liberty Fire Department scouting locations for second firehouse

The North Liberty Fire Department is looking for a place to build a second fire station to assist with the city's increasing populations and number of calls. The department says the goal of building a second station is to reduce response times, have space for modern, larger fire apparatus and to be good neighbors and community members. The proposed station would improve service to growing response areas, including high-need facilities like the coming University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics campus and Keystone Place at Forevergreen, as well as serve events in Centennial Park and offer community space for things like CPR classes, school tours and even birthday parties.
KGAN-TV CBS 2 Cedar Rapids

Waterloo Fire Rescue to ring bells for the Salvation Army

After raising $1,642 last year ringing bells for the Salvation Army, Waterloo Fire Rescue will be volunteering again. “To date, we’ve raised $69,799 in Red Kettle donations,” Major Martin Thies said in a news release. “Volunteers, like Waterloo Fire Rescue, are the difference between an empty kettle and one that raises about $30 per hour – enough to provide a family with two bags of groceries or shelter an individual for a night. With over $180,000 left before we reach our season goal, we’re hoping more volunteers will sign-up.” Firefighters will be ringing bells on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Hy-Vees on Ansborough Avenue and Logan Avenue. They will also ring bells on Dec. 10 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Hy-Vee at Crossroads and the Fareway on San Marnan Drive.
The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier Online - Metered Site

Fire crews escort residents from Sioux City house fire

A Sioux City home caught fire Thursday morning with crews able to escort the occupants outside. Sioux City Fire Rescue arrived at a structure fire on the 2500 block of South Palmetto Street in the early morning hours. Assistant Fire Chief Robert Wilson told KCAU 9 that three people were inside the house and that crews were able to get them outside safely. He added that none of the occupants were injured. Firefighters had to break through a ceiling to extinguish flames inside the house’s attic. Wilson says the location of the house presented some obstacles for his crew as they extinguished the fire. “The house was in the rear of a primary house on the street, so we had to use the alleyway which is narrower for our bigger apparatus, kind of limited from access points,” Wilson said.
KCAU-TV ABC 9 Sioux City

Follow-Up: Father discusses losing his sons in Mason City house fire

An Iowa father is mourning the loss of his four sons, killed in a house fire on Nov. 16. The boys were 12, 10, six and three years of age. The grieving dad shared how he did all he could to try to save the boys, but he just was not able to make it to them. John-Mikal McLuer Sr. said he wants the community to know he loves his boys to death. McLuer battled the flames to try and get his four sons out of the house. “I opened up the window, when I ripped the screen off, I believe I was blown out the window,” McLuer said. His arms show the severe burns, evidence he did everything he could to try and save the boys. “I tried to go back in the house again and the police officer grabbed me and said ‘Let’s go this way, let’s go to the ambulance,’” he said. “I was fighting with him and Ravan said, ‘No dad, they’re probably gone already.’”
KCRG-TV ABC 9 Cedar Rapids

Payloader Destroyed In Fire Near Inwood

A payloader was destroyed in a fire on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, near Inwood. According to Inwood Fire Chief Troy Van Beek, at about 5:20 p.m., the Inwood Fire Department was called to the report of a barn fire at 2301 240th Street, five miles east of Inwood. The chief says when they got there, the fire department saw a payloader on fire near a compost building. He says the owner had been able to pull the burning payloader out of the building, averting damage to the structure. He says they extinguished the fire with water and made sure nothing was burning in the building. Van Beek says no injuries were reported. The Alvord and Doon firefighters were also paged to the scene, but Van Beek says they didn’t end up needing the assistance. He says the cause of the fire is undetermined.
KIWA-FM 105.3 Sheldon