For 150 years Clear Lake has taken pride in providing residents with a skilled fire department. Today’s firefighters have completed many hours of training and are ready with state-of-the-art equipment in case of emergency. That’s a far cry from the hose cart and buckets businessmen-turned-firemen used when the department was new.
According to department records, the only firefighting equipment available when the town’s first significant fire broke out was buckets and long poles.
That was Jan. 4, 1871, when the Coates Bros. Furniture Store burned at a loss of $5,000 and a building near it belonging to McGrows, at a loss of $1,500. A bucket brigade was formed and long poles were used to shove the walls of the burning building in, only hoping to keep the fire from spreading.
Clear Lake Mirror Reporter
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Storm Lake firefighters responded to a residence fire on Wednesday.
The Storm Lake Fire Department says they were dispatched to 317 East Lakeshore Drive about a possible fire in the basement. Upon arrival, firefighters entered the basement and extinguished a fire burning in a concealed space next to the basement stairs.
Upon further investigation, it was determined that police officers on patrol heard smoke detectors coming from within the residence. Upon their investigation, they discovered smoke and embers coming through an exterior wall at ground level. After contacting the fire department, they evacuated residents from the building.
The fire was contained to the immediate area of origin damage was estimated at $1,000. No injuries were reported.
KICD-AM 1240
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The man police say started a fire at a Des Moines apartment building earlier this month, which displaced dozens of residents, was arrested Wednesday.
On April 7th, 26-year-old Curtis Giovannte poured gasoline in a hallway at the apartments at 1302 E. Watrous and ignited it, according to Sgt. Paul Parizek with the Des Moines Police Department. The fire caused significant damage that left multiple families without a place to live. No injuries were reported from the fire.
Video showed Giovannte getting the gas at a nearby Quik Trip shortly before the fire.
On Wednesday, an officer saw Giovannte getting on to a DART bus near SW 9th and McKinley and recognized him as the suspect in the apartment arson. The officer followed the bus and at the next stop detained Giovannte, who was found to have an unrelated warrant and taken into custody.
WHO-TV NBC 13 Des Moines
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The Muscatine Fire Department and the Muscatine County Search and Rescue team were called to assist an 80-foot yacht that was reportedly taking on water on the Mississippi River.
According to a news release, first responders were notified just before noon Wed., April 14, that a vessel broke a drive shaft which punched a hole into the gear box and tore apart the starboard propeller shaft. Two people on board The Lady Chateau were headed upriver to Minnesota. They called the U.S. Coast Guard for help, which then contacted first responders in Muscatine.
“They had the hole repaired and units assisted the boat to the floating dock at the riverfront because they lost their ability to steer to the port side,” Battalion Chief Gary Ronzheimer said. “Units remained ready to assist in case we had to take the two individuals off the boat.”
KWQC-TV NBC 6 Davenport
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