Sibley, Iowa — A house was damaged in a fire on Friday, November 15, 2024, in Sibley.
According to Sibley Fire Chief Ken Huls, at about 12:15 a.m., the Sibley Fire Department was called to the report of a house fire at 119 9th Avenue, just south of the hospital in Sibley.
The chief says the fire department saw heavy smoke from the basement window as they approached the scene. He says they used water to fight the fire.
He says firefighters entered the basement, but due to heavy smoke and zero visibility, it was hard to find the fire. He says they broke a window for ventilation, and when things cleared up a little, they were able to find an unoccupied bedroom with a closed door. Huls says that closed door probably saved the house.
He says their initial investigation indicted a hoverboard and remote control battery chargers were plugged into an outlet near a bed. He thinks the charged batteries must have ignited and started the bed on fire.
He says the fire was contained to that room, but the basement has water damage and there is smoke damage throughout the house. Huls says he thinks the house can be saved.
Huls says no injuries were reported.
The fire department was assisted by the Ashton and Little Rock fire departments.
Chief Huls reports that there was $50,000 to $75,000 damage.
He says the firefighters who responded were on the scene for about two and a half hours.
Chief Huls recommends not leaving anything charging unattended. He says even newer batteries and chargers can be a problem. And he reminds people to disconnect chargers from the wall when batteries are charged. Huls says don’t leave charged devices on chargers unnecessarily.
