Fire hits downtown Oelwein

Fire broke out in downtown Oelwein today (Wednesday). Starting about 1:45, police and firefighters evacuated the surrounding residents in nearby apartments. Nobody was hurt. The fire was in the rear end of three stores in Oelwein’s business district, the Consignment Plus, Bargain House and Goodwill stores on Frederick Street. An hour after they arrived, firefighters still hadn’t found the source of the fire and continued to tear down walls and the roof of one business to get at the fire and put it out. Residents, meanwhile, were left out in the single-digit temperatures.