MASON CITY — A Thursday morning house fire in Mason City was quickly contained after working smoke alarms alerted occupants to the danger. The Mason City Fire Department was dispatched to 8 Woodbine Road at 3:19 a.m. on May 7, 2026, following a report of smoke inside the home.
Upon arrival, fire crews discovered an active fire in the basement and found the natural gas meter on the exterior of the house was also on fire. Firefighters were able to rapidly extinguish the basement blaze and utilized hose streams to control exposure fires until Alliant Energy arrived to shut off the natural gas supply.
According to Deputy Chief and Fire Marshal Jamey Medlin, the home’s smoke alarms played a critical role in the safe outcome. All Iowa residents inside the home were alerted by the alarms and successfully evacuated the building before emergency responders reached the scene.
The Mason City Police Department and Alliant Energy assisted at the scene. No injuries were reported during the incident, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.