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Illegal open burning leads to Fort Dodge house fire

Blaze ignites rear wall of small home on Eighth Avenue South

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
A Fort Dodge firefighter sizes up the situation after a fire that damaged a house at 3107 Eighth Ave. S. Monday afternoon. The fire burned the rear wall of the house and spread into the attic.

A small Fort Dodge house was heavily damaged by a Monday afternoon blaze that started when an outdoor fire ignited the rear wall.

No one was injured in the fire at 3107 Eighth Ave. S.

The American Red Cross was called to provide temporary housing for a family of five that will not be able to stay in the damaged house.

The fire was reported at 1:37 p.m.

“They were burning outside,” Fire Chief Steve Hergenreter said. “Open burning is not legal in the city of Fort Dodge. I’m guessing the wind blew it into the siding.”

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea

The people inside the house were alerted to the fire by someone who knocked on the door.

A resident of the house was trying to put out the fire with a garden hose when firefighters arrived.

“We put it out pretty quickly with one handline,” Hergenreter said.

He said the flames burned the rear exterior wall and part of the attic. He said there was smoke damage throughout the house.

Firefighters had to tear down the kitchen ceiling to make sure the fire was out.

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
Fort Dodge firefighters hose down insulation and other debris following a house fire Monday afternoon at 3107 Eighth Ave. S. The fire, which started outside the house, charred the back wall and spread into the attic.

Emergency personnel were on the scene for about an hour.

The house is owned by Raymond and Judy Haffner, according to online records of the Webster County assessor’s office.

Hergenreter said the Ryan Bushore family lives there.

Fort Dodge firefighters, police and paramedics from UnityPoint Health — Trinity Regional Medical Center responded.

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