Fire destroyed an apartment building today in the northwest Iowa town of Sloan. Major Todd Wieck of the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Department says a deputy helped two female residents who jumped to safety from a second floor window of the four apartment, two story structure.
“As he pulled up to the scene, he saw one female jump from a window. He got out of his car and ran over to the building. At that time, there was a lot of smoke and flames coming from the building,” Wieck said. “He assisted the second female victim out of the window and down to the ground.” The two women sustained minor injuries.
Fire crews were sent to the apartment complex around 10 a.m. Residents of a nearby building were also evacuated. The apartment building, where the fire originated, is considered “a total loss,” according to Wieck. Heavy smoke from the fire forced the evacuation of residents of the second apartment building next door.
A total of 15 residents were displaced by the fire. The Evangelical Covenant Church across the street from the complex is being used as a shelter for the residents and the American Red Cross is also assisting. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
reporting by Woody Gottburg, KSCJ