One person was killed in a house fire early this morning in Council Bluffs. Fire Chief Alan Byers says the 9-1-1 call about the fire came in about a quarter to five. Byers says the first units on the scene found a two-story small house completely engulfed in flames.
When they arrived, officials were told there was likely someone inside the home. The first floor collapsed into the garage, so it took a while for firefighters to sift through the rubble, but Byers says they did eventually find a victim who had perished in the fire. The chief says the fire appears to have been burning for quite some time.
The victim, he says, was a 21-year-old male. His name has not been released pending notification of relatives, but sources say he was a native of Atlantic. Byers says it’s too early too say how the blaze may have started, as he says they have to shore up some of the first floor and then start looking through the rubble to determine the cause.
The owner of the home lived next door. His name is also not being released.