Residents at 1307 Hammond Ave. and the family dog fled the burning house into sub-zero temperatures and took shelter in a nearby garage until they were led to ambulances for warmth.
One man was taken to Covenant Medical Center for treatment of possible smoke inhalation, said Battalion Chief Marty Freshwater with Waterloo Fire Rescue. The American Red Cross was contacted to provide the family with emergency shelter.
The four cats were taken to a local veterinarian for observation.
The fire appears to have started in a plastic trash bin that sat outside next to the house, official said.
The residents had earlier emptied ashes from the home’s fireplace into the bin, Freshwater said. The ashes apparently ignited the trash can, and the flames spread up the side of the house and made their way into the home, damaging an electrical line coming into the house.
A smoke alarm sounded inside the home, and the residents evacuated. When firefighters arrived, flames were coming from the side of the house, Freshwater said.
Minutes into the operation, firefighters began locating the family’s cats inside the home. They were given oxygen inside a fire engine cab until city Animal Control workers arrived to take the cats to a veterinarian.
The home suffered considerable damage from the flames, heat and smoke, Freshwater said.
(Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier - Jan 17, 2016)
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