Alton, Iowa — An apparently abandoned car, the ditch, and some harvested corn stalks were destroyed in a fire on Tuesday, November 10, 2020, near Alton.
According to Alton Assistant Fire Chief Jerry De Groot, about 2:20 a.m., the Alton Fire Department was called to the report of a vehicle fire at 500th Street and Kennedy Avenue, four miles due south of Alton.
The assistant chief says the fire department saw the car fully engulfed in flame when they arrived. He says it was high-centered. According to De Groot, there was evidence of the tire spinning on the roadside, and he’s not sure if that’s what caused the fire or what exactly. He says the fire spread to the ditch, where it burned some ditch grass, and to the field, where it burned some harvested cornstalks.
Assistant Chief De Groot says no injuries were reported that he’s aware of.
Assistant Chief De Groot reports that the vehicle was totaled and was just a burned-out shell. However, no driver or anyone else was found near the vehicle, so exactly what happened is somewhat of a mystery. De Groot says the car was registered in the state of Maryland. Sioux County Sheriff’s Office Major Jamie Van Voorst tells us they do not think the incident is suspicious at this time.
De Groot says the firefighters who responded were on the scene for about two hours.
