Le Mars, Iowa — A house was rendered unlivable in a fire on Tuesday, October 23, 2018, near Le Mars, and the Orange City Fire Department was one of five departments called to help.
According to Le Mars Fire Chief David Schipper, about 6:00 a.m., the Le Mars Fire Department was called to the report of a house fire at 35555 Muskrat Drive, three miles east of Le Mars and then north about a mile.
The chief says the fire department saw heavy fire from the back side of the home as they approached the scene. He says they used an exterior defensive attack followed by an interior attack to fight the fire.
Schipper says no injuries were reported, and the five occupants of the home were able to escape.
Along with the Orange City firefighters, firefighters from the Oyens, Remsen, Merrill, and Hinton Fire Departments assisted. Orange City firefighters provided manpower and backup rigs to cover any other fire calls. Le Mars Ambulance was at the scene for firefighter rehab and to check the occupants of the home.
He says the cause of the fire appeared to be a small heater that was in a wood frame box for cats and kittens, which malfunctioned.
Chief Schipper reports that there was $600,000 damage to the home, which is not able to be occupied at this time. He says the roof collapsed in the back of the home and the ceiling came down throughout the main level.
Fire crews were on the scene for several hours.
