West Chester fire displaces residents

WEST CHESTER — A family in the small town of West Chester was “displaced” by a fire on Oct. 28, according to the city’s Facebook page.

A police call for service log from the night said multiple callers reported “heavy smoke and flames through the window” of a trailer house on Center Street around 8 p.m., before Wellman, Washington and Kalona fire departments responded to extinguish the flames.

Wellman Assistant Fire Chief Trevor Owens said crews responded to the call and extinguished the fire in a little under two hours, returning to the station at 10:30 p.m. He said the cause was unknown at the moment, awaiting a determination from the state Fire Marshal.

“I don’t really know when an insurance company considers a house to be a total loss, but there’s pretty significant damage,” Owens said.

County and city officials said the American Red Cross had been contacted to arrange aid for the displaced home’s residents, but did not identify them. There were no pets or people inside at the time of the fire, according to the Call For Service log.

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com