Local firefighters were awoken Friday morning, July 11 to the sound of their pagers going off. At 4:32 a truck driver traveling through Chester called in a fire at the home owned by Dale Jensen and previously owned by Don Thurlow, three houses east of City Park.
Fire Chief Jeff Wendel, who lives a couple houses to the southwest, could see the flames as he hurried to the fire station. “It was totally engulfed before we got called,” he commented.
Mutual aid was called from Lime Springs and LeRoy, along with the LeRoy Ambulance and Howard County Sheriff’s Department.
James Kitchen Construction had been working with the owner to get it demolished, but that is no longer necessary, as it is just a pile of rubble.
Some individuals had been residing in the house. Kitchen had informed them it was going to be torn down. He drove by the evening before and saw them loading up some of their belongings. He helped carry a heavy sofa.
It was early the next morning the fire was spotted.
The state fire marshall, along with the sheriff’s department are working together to investigate the fire.
Filed under: Local News |
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