(Le Mars) — Heavy smoke could be seen from several blocks away on Monday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. as firefighters were called to 520 2nd Avenue southwest in Le Mars as a house had caught on fire. Firefighters from Le Mars, Merrill, and Orange City battled the house fire as well as the frigid cold temperatures. The fire alarm was actually called by Le Mars Fire Chief Dave Schipper as he saw smoke from a couple blocks away from his home.
Schipper believes the fire was perhaps burning for awhile before people had noticed the billowing smoke.
Nobody was home at the time of the fire, and firefighters had to break open the door in order to extinguish the flames.
Schipper says he isn’t certain as to whether the house can be repaired in order for someone to continue to reside in the home. He says there was extensive damage to the upper level. Schipper says firefighters determined the origin of the fire was at an upstairs bedroom and the cause was improperly disposed of smoking material.
Firefighters were able to get the fire under control within 45 minutes, but remained on the scene for nearly an hour and a half.
