Nick Hytrek – Sioux City Journal, Iowa
(TNS)
SIOUX CITY — Two men were rescued from the roof of a burning home on Sioux City’s west side Wednesday.
Sioux City Fire Rescue crews arriving at the two-story house in the 700 block of Rebecca Street spotted the pair and were able to use ladders to get the men down while other crews prepared to fight the fire, which was reported by house occupants at 12:35 p.m., said Capt. Ryan Collins, deputy fire marshal.
The other 11 occupants of the home safely evacuated without injury, Collins said.
When firefighters arrived, they observed heavy smoke coming from the home. The fire was located in a second-floor bedroom, and firefighters had to be recalled from the second floor after encountering intense heat. Firefighters from outside sprayed water through a second-floor window to lower the temperature before firefighters extinguished the fire from inside.
Collins said a person who was in the bedroom when the fire started closed the door behind him when evacuating, helping to starve the fire of oxygen and reduce its severity.
“That potentially saved the house,” Collins said.
The house had smoke and water damage throughout and was red-tagged as unfit for occupation. Collins said the home will be able to repaired and occupied again.
Collins said the fire was accidental, and the cause is still under investigation.
In addition to the fire, firefighters battled humidity and temperatures in the low 90s. Collins said crew members rotated in shorter cycles, taking breaks in an air conditioned trailer and keeping hydrated to prevent heat exhaustion.
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