Coalville house destroyed by fire

Blaze erupted Monday followed by rekindle Tuesday

COALVILLE -- A Coalville home was destroyed by a fire early Monday morning that rekindled Tuesday afternoon.

No one was injured in either fire at 23928 237th Ave.

A family of four and three dogs were left homeless by the blaze. The American Red Cross found the family temporary housing in a Fort Dodge hotel.

The initial fire was reported at about 5 a.m. Monday.

Jim Jasper, who said he lived in the house for 62 years, said he was initially woken up Monday morning by one of the dogs.

"The smoke detector went off, but he went off first," he said. "He was whining and I thought he wanted to go outside."

He said everyone, including the dogs, got out unharmed. He said he, his grandson, his grandson's fiance and their baby live in the house.

"In just a few minutes it was up the side of the building," he said of the fire.

Otho Assistant Fire Chief Dylan Hagen said when firefighters arrived Monday morning the whole southeast side of the two story house was engulfed in flames.

The Otho, Duncombe and Lehigh fire departments responded.

The first fire gutted the interior of the house, charred an exterior wall and left a large hole in the roof.

At 3:47 p.m. Tuesday smoke was reported coming from the second floor of the house.

Hagen said the fire rekindled in an upstairs bedroom. Firefighters advanced a hoseline up a ladder and in through a window to put that fire out.

Otho firefighters and Webster County sheriff's deputies responded to the Tuesday afternoon incident.

Hagen said both fires remain under investigation.

Online records of the Webster County Assessor's Office list the owner of the house as Gladys L. Finck. The house was built in 1890, according to those records.