Paullina, Iowa — The Paullina Fire Department was called out on Friday for smoke in a downstairs unit.
Paullina Fire Officer Ryan Harper says that they and the Paullina Ambulance Crew were paged about 12:40 p.m. to 226 West Broadway.
When they got there, they only saw minimal smoke coming from the home. Harper says he spoke with the occupant of the second-floor unit, who had already evacuated. He told Harper that his smoke detectors had alerted him, prompting him to leave the building and call for help.
The first fire crew entered the first-floor unit and found minimal smoke. During their initial search, they discovered a pot on the stove that was actively smoldering, with no visible flames. The crew removed the pot and took it outside to extinguish the smoldering. A secondary search confirmed that the downstairs unit was unoccupied at the time of the incident.
Harper says they initiated positive-pressure ventilation on both floors of the building. Once the smoke had cleared, they determined that the residence was safe for the occupants to re-enter. There was no heavy smoke damage, just a lingering smell of smoke.
The Paullina Fire Department was on scene for approximately 45 minutes before clearing the scene and returning to service. The Paullina Ambulance Squad, Paullina Police Department, and O’Brien County EMA also assisted at the scene.
KIWA Staff Photo
