A Rock Valley mobile home purchased through FEMA’s flood recovery program is now uninhabitable following a Sunday afternoon fire.
According to Rock Valley Fire Chief Brent Eshuis, firefighters were called at about 4:50 p.m. on Sunday, March 1st, to a report of a trailer fire at 605 10th Street.
When crews arrived, Eshuis says they found the side of the home on fire with smoke coming from the attic area.
“They saw the side of the home on fire and smoke coming from the attic,” Eshuis said. “We had to make a hole in the roof and tear out the ceiling to fight the fire.”
No injuries were reported.
Eshuis says the fire appears to have started on the porch, where occupants had been putting cigarettes out in a plastic coffee can. With strong winds on Sunday afternoon, the container caught fire and ignited the home’s vinyl siding.
“The occupants had been putting cigarettes out in a plastic coffee can on the porch,” Eshuis explained. “With the strong winds, it caught flame and started the home’s vinyl siding on fire.”
Chief Eshuis reports the damage was extensive. He says the home will require major repairs to the walls, roof, and ceiling before it can be lived in again.
Firefighters were on scene for approximately an hour and a half.
The Rock Valley Fire Department was assisted by the Hull Fire Department through an auto-aid agreement, along with the Rock Valley Ambulance Squad, Rock Valley Police Department, and MidAmerican Energy.
The home had been purchased from FEMA following the 2024 Rock River flood.
This story is courtesy of fellow Community First Broadcasting station KIWA Radio
