These pictures, taken by a helicopter that flew over the Exira fire this morning, are courtesy of Kyle Johnson, with Johnson Flying Services, in Exira.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – A southwest Iowa hospital has joined a national campaign that encourages bystanders to assist in a bleeding emergency. The Daily Nonpareil reports that CHI Health Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs received a more than $25,000 grant from the Loess Hills Health Care Coalition to take part in the Stop The Bleed campaign.

Barb Roenfeld is the hospital’s director of emergency services. She says the hospital will teach area health care workers how to train nonmedical people on how to stop serious bleeding in an emergency. Roenfeld says the training has focused on people with medical backgrounds, but future training will include nonmedical personnel at the hospital.

CHI Health says someone can die in as little as five minutes from uncontrolled bleeding. Roenfeld says the national campaign began after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

The source of a major fire in Exira early this (Friday) morning, remains under investigation. Exira Fire Chief Mike Bintner said the call about a fire at Jerry’s Bar located at 100 W. Washington Street, was reported at around 2:50-a.m. Bintner said it quickly became obvious that they were going to need a lot of help to fight the two-story blaze.  He said there were at least 26 departments who responded to the call for help, as well as local businesses.

Aerial (Ladder) trucks with high pressure hoses and snorkels were on hand from Atlantic and Harlan. Pumper trucks were on the scene from Adair, Anita, Elk Horn, Exira, Cumberland, Massena, Lewis, Greenfield, Fontanelle, Bridgewater, Griswold, Manning, Persia, Portsmouth, Manilla, Denison, Dow City-Arion, Coon Rapids, Stuart, Guthrie Center, Templeton, Walnut, Menlo, Adair and Casey, to name but a few. In addition, traffic control and support was provided by Audubon Police and the Iowa State Patrol. Emergency medical services were also on hand.

Water was trucked in from Audubon, and a former gravel pit. It’s unclear how many gallons of water were used, but the Chief said the aerials alone use 1,200 to 1,500 gallons per minute. There were several rubber bladders set up around the building on the street, to store load after load water for pumping on the building.

Chief Binter said the fire he said started in the bar at Jerry’s. Three additional buildings adjacent to Jerry’s were lost in the flames, as well. Those businesses include a craft and arts consignment store, a psychiatrist’s office and other space.  The State Fire Marshal is on the scene to try and determine how the fire started. In addition to the unprecedented show of support from fire departments who traveled more than 30 miles to assist, Bintner spoke highly of the Community’s Support of those firefighters, who provided them with water, sports drinks, and food. Some of those items came from Atlantic businesses and citizens. The donation was organized by the Trevor Fredericksen Foundation.

Jerry’s bar was recently renovated to include a new roof and deck area. The deck was relatively undamaged, but the rest of the structure was a total loss.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of 45-year-old Travis Lynn Heinlen of Fort Dodge today (Friday). Heinlen was arrested at about 9:30am after he was found hiding in a closet at a residence in the 1200 block of 140th Street in Red Oak. He was arrested on two warrants from Webster County for Violation of Probation and Voluntary Absence from Custody. He was being held on $6,000 bond in the Montgomery County Jail for Webster County.

The Atlantic Police Department reports two arrests in the past two days.

On Thursday, July 13th Atlantic Police arrested 37-year-old Dicey Christensen of Atlantic on two Cass County Warrants for Unauthorized use of a Credit Card. She was taken to the Cass County Jail and booked in.

Today (Friday, July 14th) Atlantic Police arrested 54-year-old Larry Will of Atlantic for OWI and Driving While License Denied or Revoked. He was taken into custody and booked in to the Cass County Jail.

A two-story structure fire was occurring in downtown Exira early this morning. According to an Exira firefighter, the page went out at around 2:20-a.m., for the blaze at Jerry’s Bar at 100 W. Washington Street. Atlantic Fire Department’s quint (Ladder truck) and Anita Fire’s tanker truck were requested at 3:25-a.m.

KJAN News arrived on the scene not long thereafter. Even though there wasn’t much of  a breeze, smoke from the blaze could seen and smelled as far south as Brayton. Downtown Exira was filled with a thick, acrid smoke, as calls for help from the Audubon, Kimballton and Adair Fire Departments. The main problem was with the water supply, according to the fireman we spoke with. Cumberland, Massena and Marne Fire Department’s tanker trucks were also called to provide extra water between 5:30-and 5:40-a.m.  Griswold, Lewis and Coon Rapids Tanker trucks were requested as well just before 6-a.m..  Other personnel were on hand as well, including Exira Rescue, Portsmouth Fire, and the Audubon County Sheriff’s Office.

Jerry’s bar recently underwent a renovation, from what we were told. Crews were working feverishly to contain the blaze to the bar. It’s expected they’ll be on the scene for at least a couple of more hours.