WARREN COUNTY, Iowa — Response to a Sunday morning fire in rural Warren County was impacted by snow-covered roads, bitter cold and high winds, according to the Norwalk Fire Department.
Fire crews responded to 6998 30th Avenue around 10:20 a.m. and immediately upgraded its response after seeing smoke from a mile away.
But responding units had trouble due to weather-related complications. At the time of the call, the fire department says it was -13 degrees outside with 17 mph from the west.
"While responding, units encountered severely drifted over and nearly impassable roads ... due to extreme weather conditions, equipment failures and lack of fire hydrants in the rural area, the fire rapidly progressed," the release reads.
The fire caused an estimated $450,000 in damage, with the home considered a total loss.
Officials say the home's residents were at home when the blaze began, but no one -- firefighters and civilians both -- was injured.
Investigation is ongoing into the cause of the fire.
West Des Moines Fire Department, Martensdale Fire Department, Northern Warren Fire Department, St. Mary’s Fire Department, St. Charles Fire Department, Westcom Emergency Communications, Warren County Communications, Warren County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa State Patrol all assisted in the response.
