MASON CITY – An apartment house owned by a city council woman on East State Street in Mason City was ablaze Friday afternoon, and appeared to suffer serious damage.
The incident began before 3 PM Friday afternoon, neighbors tell NIT. Residents of the 4-plex located at 321 East State Street were seen trying to douse an apparent blaze that began in the basement and later shot all the way to the second floor. NIT is told they were filling garbage bins with water and throwing the water on a fire in the basement. Once that endeavor proved to be fruitless, the fire department was called. Firefighters arrived and made entry, NIT is told, and water was applied throughout the structure.
“You could see the water shooting out the windows,” a neighbor told NIT. “The place is in bad shape.”
Sources said that as the situation began and developed, fire was seen shooting out of a lower-level window.
Owner Jim Marinos was there, simply watching, as his brick building filled with smoke and water. There was no sign, however, of councilwoman Jean Marinos. “She must have stayed home, or maybe she was in Greece,” as the neighbor semi-jokingly said.
The nearby streets and adjacent alley were blocked off, and a couple of ambulances were there. No report of injuries was made.
Fire officials have not released a cause to the fire, nor an approximate damage amount. There appeared to be enough damage to render the apartment house unlivable, at least for the short-term.
Photos from fire Friday on East State Street in Mason City.
Posted by NorthIowaToday.com on Saturday, November 28, 2015
