ANKENY – A fancy Iowa home was destroyed Saturday by flames fueled by strong winds, authorities say.
Saturday at approximately 4:25 PM, the Ankeny Fire Department was dispatched to 9855 NE Frisk Drive after receiving a call indicating that a vehicle had started on fire in the driveway of the residence and the fire was quickly spreading to the house because of the wind. The Ankeny Fire Department responded immediately and arrived on scene within four minutes. The incident was quickly upgraded to a second alarm, which dispatched additional resources from the following fire departments: Elkhart, Polk City, Saylor Township, Urbandale, and West Des Moines. Additional agencies that also helped included Mid-American Energy, Polk County Emergency Management, and the Ankeny Police Department.
When the Ankeny Fire Department arrived on scene, crews found fire coming from the vehicle in the driveway and a large amount of smoke and fire coming from the attic of the residence. Crews immediately began to extinguish the fire, but had to evacuate due to heavy fire conditions throughout the residence and a partial roof collapse. Crews were able to contain the fire in just over an hour, but will remain on scene for additional time to extinguish hidden fires. The homeowners, who were home at the time of the fire, were able to safely evacuate. There were no injuries to the homeowners, nor responders. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The home is valued at $664,700 by the Polk county assessor’s office and is owned by Roger andSandra Spahr.