Wapello Fire and Rescue responded to its second structure fire in three days when a pole building and its contents were destroyed Tuesday south of Wapello.
Chief Damon Moore says they were called to 13121 40th Street shortly after 1:30 p.m. and heavy smoke could be seen from over five miles away. He says due to the nature of the call, the Morning Sun Fire Department was immediately requested for mutual aid.
Moore says upon arrival, the pole building was engulfed in flames, but fighting the fire was challenging with the structure over 400 feet from the nearest road in an area along a bluff. The steep, narrow and icy condition of the driveway was also inaccessible for the fire trucks, forcing crews to drag hoses up the hill to battle the blaze which was fueled by a large amount of wood and chemicals stored in the building being utilized as a workshop. Firefighters remained on scene until shortly after 5:00 p.m.
A Sunday evening fire destroyed a house in the city of Wapello.
Fire Chief Damon Moore says firefighters were called to 426 South Main shortly after 7:00 p.m. for flames coming out of almost every window of the house owned by Cobi Miller. Moore says Miller was home asleep at the time and was awakened by the smoke detector alarm before discovering fire in a bedroom, evacuating the home, and calling 911. In addition to battling the blaze, a Wapello police officer reported there had been several explosions from firearm ammunition in the home.
Moore says there were no injuries and believes the working smoke detector saved Miller’s life. He says the house and its contents were completely destroyed, but an estimate on damage costs was not immediately available. Twenty-nine firefighters from the Wapello, Morning Sun and Grandview fire departments were on the scene until about 10:45 p.m. Wapello Ambulance, Wapello Police, the Louise County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Wapello Publ
Wapello Fire Department replacement effort boosted by LOST revenue
Jim Rudisill
for The Hawk Eye
WAPELLO A renewed effort to build a new fire station in Wapello received a financial shot in the arm last week from the city council, which agreed to transfer Local Option Sales Tax revenue to a capital improvement fund that could be used for the station’s construction.
Fire department and city officials have been trying for years to develop a plan to replace the current, nearly 50-year-old structure, but have been stymied by financial and other reasons.
A $1.7 million bond referendum was defeated by voters in 2017, although city council members at that time said residents they had talked with supported a new station, but not at that high of cost.
Wapello council considers funding for new fire station muscatinejournal.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from muscatinejournal.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.