MFRD’s Districts 1, 2, 3 and Rescue 9 responded to a residential fire at 522 Council Bluff Parkway just before 4:00 Tuesday afternoon.
Upon arrival, District 2 reported heavy black smoke and flames shooting from the opening in the garage.
Crews laid out fire lines and attacked the blaze with an aerial. “Crews did a heck of a job keeping the fire contained mostly to the garage area of the home,” said Shift Commander Tim Swann.
According to Swann, the home did receive substantial water and smoke damage to the second and main floors of the home.
There were no injuries associated with the incident; however, despite crews’ best efforts to save the family pet, it did not survive the blaze.
Assistant Chief Kaye Jernigan made the decision to call in off duty personnel to assist with the fire. “With the heat index over 100, our main concern is the safety of our firefighters,” said Jernigan. Off duty personnel were used to replace initial fire crews to conduct salvage and overhaul, in the hopes of preventing any heat-related injuries.
The American Red Cross was also called in to assist with the rehab of firefighters and to offer assistance to the homeowners.
At this time, the cause of the fire is unclear and is under investigation by the Fire Marshal’s Office. According to Assistant Fire Marshal Tracy Summar, the fire appears to have started in the garage and the home could be determined a total loss.
More details will be released as they become available.