Members of the Decorah Fire Department gathered near a blackened clothes dryer Wednesday morning after removing the appliance from the basement of a home in the 200 block of North Street in Decorah. No injuries were reported, with only minor smoke damage to the home's basement. (Photo by Seth Boyes)
By Seth Boyes,
A small plume of smoke just off College Drive didn’t have the chance to become a full-fledged house fire Wednesday morning, thanks to Decorah firefighters. No injuries were reported.
The Decorah Fire Department was paged out for a dryer fire at 7:47 a.m. that day to 209 North Street — near the intersection of North and East Streets. Smoke could be seen rising from the home’s windows, but the homeowner was able to exit the house and remained outside, according to information from the fire department.
Steve Vanden Brink, the department’s public information officer, said crews found heavy smoke coming from the home’s basement when they arrived. He said the fire department used a thermal imager to locate the fire amid the thick, black smoke, and firefighters were able to quench the fire using two extinguishers.
“The occupant of the home did what everyone should do, if they have a fire — that is to get out and stay out,” Vanden Brink said. “The home also had working smoke detectors, which could be heard alarming when the fire department arrived.”
Vanden Brink reminded the public to check clothes driers regularly and to clean each machine’s lint screen every time it is used.
Crews responding to Wednesday’s call removed the blackened dryer from the home and placed it outside in the driveway before putting fans in place to ventilate the house — visible smoke coming from a western window and front door dissipated within minutes after the fans were put in place. Vanden Brink said minor smoke damage occurred in the home’s basement, and the dryer was considered a total loss.
Firefighters were on scene for approximately an hour, Vanden Brink said. They were assisted by the Decorah Police Department and Winneshiek County Dispatch as well as officials with Alliant Energy and Black Hills Energy.
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