COLFAX, Ia. – It was around 9 a.m. when a person driving on Highway 117 in Jasper County saw a house on fire and alerted the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office.
Jasper County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Duane Rozendaal said, “The original call was that the fire was contained to the garage area, but due to the fact that the garage is connected to the house, it eventually worked its way into the home.”
There was one person in the house at the time of the fire, an 18-year-old girl who was found sleeping on the couch.
Rozendaal said, “A passerby stopped, went in the house and actually got the 18-year-old out. She was out safely and then the Colfax and Prairie City chiefs were able to get the dog out of the house as well. So at this point the house has sustained a considerable amount of damage. However, there was no loss of life.”
The weather was not helping rescue crews either, as northwest winds further spread the fire from the garage to the house.
Rozendaal said, “If it started in the garage which is what we had told originally and then the house was sitting to the southeast of it. It’s obviously gonna start to push its way through so the added wind and fire don’t play well together.”
A small stretch of Highway 117 connecting Colfax and Prairie City was closed for nearly three and a half hours causing drivers to take detours.
The fire is currently under investigation.
