Sheldon, Iowa — One person is dead following an early Monday morning apartment fire in Sheldon.
According to the Sheldon Fire Department, they were called out at 12:51 am Monday morning to a structure fire at 219 8th Street. On arrival they found unit 219 of the six-plex apartment building with heavy smoke coming from the front and flames counting out the back bedroom window, with the occupant unaccounted for at the time.
According to the report, firefighters tried to enter the apartment unit but were pushed back by the extreme heat and smoke. Firefighters then shifted to a defensive attack and called Sanborn Fire for mutual aid.
Once the fire was under control a quick search was done and the victim was located in the bedroom about 20 minutes later.
Hospers Fire Department was called for manpower. The State Fire Marshal’s office was called, and an investigator was on scene early this morning to perform a preliminary investigation. The O’Brien County Medical examiner also arrived on scene to perform their investigation. The victim’s body was transported to the State Medical Examiner in Ankeny for positive identification and autopsy.
Damage to neighboring apartments, resulted in eleven occupants being displaced. According to Assistant Fire Chief Brad Hindt, one of the displaced residents has sought shelter at a relative’s home, while the other 10 were sent to hotels arranged for by O’Brien County Emergency Management.
Hindt says all of the apartments in the building sustained severe smoke damage and are uninhabitable. In addition, one adjacent unit received some fire damage when the blaze made it into their attic from the neighboring apartment.
Hindt says more information will be released as it becomes available.
Assisting at the scene were Sanborn Fire Department, Hospers Fire Department, Sheldon Police Department, O’Brien County Sheriff’s Office, O’Brien County Emergency Management, Sheldon Community Ambulance and MidAmerican Energy.
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Sheldon, Iowa — One person is dead following an early Monday morning apartment fire in Sheldon.
The identity of the victim has not been released, pending positive identification and notification of next of kin.
According to the Sheldon Fire Department, they were called out at 12:51 Monday morning for a structure fire at 219 8th Street, near Langer’s.
Assistant Sheldon Fire Chief Brad Hindt said upon arrival, firefighters noted heavy smoke and flames through the exterior of the building. Hindt says fire crews were unable to complete an interior attack due to heat and heavy smoke.
Sheldon Fire requested Sanborn Fire Department for equipment and manpower and Hospers Fire for manpower only.
Hindt says the cause of the fire is still under investigation at this time.
We’ll bring you more information when it becomes available.
Photo courtesy of Sheldon Fire Department
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Original Post at 2:21 am, Monday, April 25, 2022
Sheldon, Iowa — Firefighters from three northwest Iowa communities were called to the report of a structure fire in Sheldon early Monday morning.
Shortly before 1:00 am, the Sheldon Fire Department was called for a fire in an apartment in the 200 block of 8th Street, just east of Langer’s in Sheldon. Shortly thereafter, they requested the Sanborn Fire Department for mutual aid. Some time later, the Sheldon department requested manpower from the Hospers Fire Department to help battle the blaze.
We’ll bring you more information when it becomes available.
Photo by KIWA Staff
