2 hospitalized for severe burns after overnight Des Moines house fire
Luke NozickaTwo people were hospitalized at a burn treatment center Friday morning after a fire broke out at a home on the west side of Des Moines, officials said.
When firefighters responded to the blaze just before 1 a.m., they could see flames coming from the home in the 800 block of 41st Street from the 42nd Street bridge. The man and woman escaped by the time first responders arrived.
Firefighters believe when one of the two escaped the home and realized the other had not, that person went back inside to retrieve the other, aiding "in the survival," of that person. A fire official described it as remarkable.
"It's pretty miraculous these two made it out," Des Moines fire Lt. Chris Clement said.
Firefighters arrived at the home within three minutes, seeing flames through a window on the south side of the home. They went in through the back door of the house, which was heavily damaged by smoke, heat and water.
An initial report indicated the possessions in the home were a total loss. Clement said the home, in the city's Drake neighborhood, suffered structural damage.
Clement did not know the conditions of the two people, who suffered severe burns. He said they were likely in critical condition because they were taken from local hospitals to the burn treatment center at the University of Iowa's Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.
The relationship between the two people remained unclear. The two, who firefighters described as middle-aged, were alert and conscious when first responders arrived on scene.
About 25 emergency personnel responded to the blaze. Fire investigators remained at the scene later in the morning, trying to determine the origin and cause of the blaze.
Some pets died in the fire, Clement said.
There were no smoke alarms in the home, fire investigators said. Clement advised residents to check their smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
The home's front door and a number of windows were boarded up by Friday afternoon. Burned furniture, including chairs, could be seen in the yard.
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