MASON CITY – The Mason City Fire Department responded to a report of a fire at the Plymouth Road Apartments at 3:57 pm on August 10, 2017.
The building is owned by Westview Apartments of Mason City.
When fire crews arrived on scene, heavy smoke was showing from the roof with fire on the south side of the roof. An interior attack was made to the 3rd floor apartments, with little smoke and no fire showing on third floor. Fire crews accessed the attic area where there was heavy fire and smoke. Interior crews tried to extinguish the fire for approximately 5 minutes, flowing 150 to 200 gallon of water per minute. The fire continued to grow even with the hose line working in the attic. The interior crew exited the building and a defensive operation was established with several hand lines and the aerial truck operating from outside the building. While the interior crew was performing their operation in the attic, a search and rescue crew searched all the apartments and all the residents were accounted for and safe.
The fire is still under investigation but the most probable cause of the fire was electrical. A ventilation fan in the bathroom of the southwest apartment on the 3rd floor either overheated or the electrical wiring arced that supplied the ventilation fan.
The Mason City Fire Department is grateful there were no injuries from this fire.
The Mason City Fire Department along with property managers are working with tenants of the building to assist them in entering the building to retrieve any personal belongings that can be saved.
Assisting at the scene was the Mason City Police Department with traffic control and scene security, the Cert Team assisting with rehab of firefighters and other emergency personnel, the Mason City Street Department supplying barricades and Alliant Energy assisting with securing the electrical services.
