All six people living at 714 Park Avenue in Webster City escaped the fiery blaze that destroyed their home Sunday night. Unfortunately, one family pet was not so lucky.
The Webster City Fire Department got the call at 9:06 pm, and quickly responded. By the time firefighters arrived on the scene, smoke and flames were rising from the two story residence, Fire Chief Chuck Stansfield told KQ Radio. But firefighters quickly brought the blaze under control. A search team then looked through the structure, and found the family pet, which they determined was deceased.
The Webster City Line Department shut down the power to the live power line, which was disconnected, and the gas service was turned off to the burned out structure as well. As the Fire Department inspected the structure for remaining hot spots and investigated to determine the cause of the fire, Webster City Police gathered information while controlling the road. EMS from the Van Diest Medical center were on staff and assisted at the scene, although there were no injuries.
Although the investigation is still open, initial findings suggest the fire may have begun in the laundry room. According to the National Fire Prevention Association, laundry related fires cause nearly 16,000 house fires per year on average, killing more than a dozen people per year, causing several hundred injuries, and hundreds of millions of dollars in property damage. More than 9 out of every 10 laundry fires involve clothes dryers, and half of those involve lint, dust, other fibers, or clothing itself, catching fire. However, the wiring, housings, and drive belts of both washers and dryers are fire hazards, if not well maintained.
Smoke detectors and fire extinguishers should always be kept in or near laundry rooms, which should be kept clean. Dryers should be cleaned of dust, lint, and fibers regularly and thoroughly. And the wirings, housings, and belts of laundry equipment should be inspected regularly for signs of wear.
