Estherville, IA (northwestiowanow) — The Estherville Fire Department responded to two smoke-filled residential fire calls over the course of two days.
Estherville Fire Chief Travis Sheridan says crews responded to a call around 5:20 a.m. Sunday on a report of smoke inside a local residence.
When crews arrived, the occupant was already outside speaking to law enforcement.
Inside the home, fire officers found smoldering debris on the kitchen stove and extinguished it using water from the sink. Firefighters then ventilated the smoke and conducted exterior overhaul operations, removing the kitchen exhaust fan to ensure the fire had not spread to the inner walls. Crews remained on scene for about 45 minutes.
The following Monday, crews were paged to another residence shortly before 12:40 p.m.
Arriving officers observed light smoke coming from the front door and entered to find a pile of smoldering clothes in the laundry room.
The smoldering clothes were immediately carried outside and extinguished before crews ventilated the residence.
An investigation determined the cause of Monday’s fire was improperly discarded smoking materials. Firefighters remained on scene for roughly four and a half hours to investigate and verify that the fire had not extended into other areas of the home.
The Estherville Fire Department was assisted by the Estherville Police Department, Estherville Ambulance Service, Emmet County Dispatch Center, Emmet County Sheriff’s Office, Estherville Electrical Department, Black Hills Energy, the Wallingford Fire Department, and the Iowa State Fire Marshal Division.
