Archer, Iowa — A car was destroyed in a fire on Friday, January 23, 2026, near Archer, and fire and law enforcement officials don’t exactly know why.
According to Archer Fire Chief Brian Vollink, at about 10:45 a.m., the Archer Fire Department was called to the report of a car on fire near 400th Street and Pierce Avenue, two miles south, a mile east, and another south of Archer.
When they got there, the chief says the fire department saw a car fully engulfed in flame, but no one was around. He says they used water and foam to fight the fire.
Vollink says no injuries were reported, but since no one was there, they can’t be sure no one was injured. He says from what they could tell, the driver had lost control, and the car entered the ditch and somehow caught on fire. He says the O’Brien County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident, but it appears that the driver fled the area for some reason. He says the car is owned by someone from this area.
The fire department was assisted by Primghar firefighters. In fact, he says that due to a communication issue, the Primghar firefighters got there before the Archer firefighters.
He says the cause of the fire is undetermined, but it probably started in the engine compartment.
Chief Vollink reports that the car was totaled in the fire.
He says the firefighters who responded were on the scene for between an hour and an hour and a half.
KIWA Staff Photo
