(Norwalk, Iowa) – A residence near the central Iowa community of Norwalk was a total loss, following a fire Sunday morning. According to a news release from the Norwalk Fire Department, crews responded at around 10:19-a.m. to a reported structure fire at 6998 30th Avenue in rural Warren County. Enroute, units encountered severely drifted-over and nearly impassable roads. Firefighters saw smoke coming from the scene from more than one-mile away and immediately upgraded the assignment to a working fire – 1st alarm. Assistance was requested from mutual aid agencies. Firefighters from five area departments, along with emergency communications workers, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa State Patrol, assisted in handling the incident.

Upon firefighters’ arrival, crews initiated an aggressive attack to bring the flames under control, but due to extreme weather conditions, equipment failures and a lack of fire hydrants in the rural area, the fire progressed rapidly. The temperature at the time of the call was -13 degrees, with winds out of the west at 15-20 mph creating a -37 degree wind chill. No injuries were reported to firefighters or civilians. Residents who were living in the home at the time of the blaze were receiving assistance from the American Red Cross.

The cause of the fire was under investigation, but authorities believe it began at or near a wood burning stove. The home was destroyed by the flames, with the loss estimated at $450,000.