A man passing by a Mason City home is credited with helping two women escape a house fire. Assistant Fire Marshal Aaron Beemer says they were called to the northern portion of Mason City at about 4:40 on Thursday morning.
The fire was discovered by Josh Bendickson, a passer-by who noticed smoke and flames through the attic vent at the front of the residence owned by Viola Price, who lived in the house along with her daughter Sharon Anderson. Bendickson is credited with alerting the two women of the fire and helping both to safely exit the home.
Beemer says the probable cause of the fire was determined to be electrical wiring in the attic space that overheated and caught cellulose insulation on fire, which then spread to the rest of the attic structure.
By Bob Fisher, KRIB, Mason City