Des Moines firefighters braved the extreme cold and high winds early Monday to extinguish a house fire near Drake University. First responders arrived at the scene around 12:30 a.m. at 18th Street and College Avenue, where fire was shooting from the roof of the house. The close proximity of the houses raised concerns about the fire spreading, but firefighters managed to prevent it.”It’s always a problem,” said Capt. Chris Clement, with the Des Moines Fire Department. “You have radiant heating from one fire. That can catch the next house on fire. And then when the other house is only a few feet away and it’s downwind on a night when the wind’s blowing probably 40 miles an hour, then (it) could be a real problem. But the crews did a great job.” No one was hurt in the fire, and firefighters reported that neighbors alerted the homeowner, ensuring their safe evacuation. A cause of the fire remains under investigation. Check back with KCCI-TV, kcci.com or our mobile app for developments to this story.
Des Moines firefighters braved the extreme cold and high winds early Monday to extinguish a house fire near Drake University.
First responders arrived at the scene around 12:30 a.m. at 18th Street and College Avenue, where fire was shooting from the roof of the house. The close proximity of the houses raised concerns about the fire spreading, but firefighters managed to prevent it.
“It’s always a problem,” said Capt. Chris Clement, with the Des Moines Fire Department. “You have radiant heating from one fire. That can catch the next house on fire. And then when the other house is only a few feet away and it’s downwind on a night when the wind’s blowing probably 40 miles an hour, then (it) could be a real problem. But the crews did a great job.”
No one was hurt in the fire, and firefighters reported that neighbors alerted the homeowner, ensuring their safe evacuation. A cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Check back with KCCI-TV, kcci.com or our mobile app for developments to this story.