Sheldon, Iowa — A Sheldon business received heavy smoke damage in a fire on Monday night.
According to Sheldon Assistant Fire Chief Brad Hindt, about 8:10 p.m., the Sheldon Fire Company was called to the report of a fire at Bubbles Laundromat and Campus Cleaners in the 500 block of Third Avenue.
Hindt says when they got there, they found heavy smoke coming from the center of the building. One crew of firefighters made entry into the dry-cleaning part of the building and found a fire in one of the dryers and fire extending up the wall. The crew was able to extinguish the fire.
A second crew of firefighters had made entry and searched the upstairs apartment for occupants which were unaccounted for early in the fire. No one was found in the apartment, but they did find a few baby kittens in the apartment. Later, the occupants were accounted for.
Sheldon firefighters called for help from the Sanborn Fire Department, and they provided mutual aid assistance.
Hindt says one employee suffered smoke inhalation and was transported to the hospital by the Sheldon Community Ambulance team.
He tells us the fire appears to have started in one of the clothes dryers and there was heavy smoke damage to the laundry mat and apartment in the building.
Hindt says firefighters were on the scene for about two hours.
Assisting the Sheldon Fire Company were the Sheldon Police Department, Sheldon Community Ambulance team, O’Brien County Sheriff’s Office, Sanborn Police Department, and crews from Mid-American Energy.
Firefighters were on the scene until about 11 p.m.
