Hunter
02/08/21
Two Cedar Rapids firefighters were seriously injured as they battled a fire at the Westdale Court Apartments early Sunday morning.
According to a release from the department, they were dispatched to the complex on 20th Avenue Southwest just before 1:20 am on reports of smoke in the kitchen and smoke alarms activating in a second floor apartment unit there. Arriving firefighters began knocking down the fire, but suddenly lost water pressure in their hose line and had to back out of the building. Another crew found a hole in the floor just inside the apartment entry and found that the blaze had extended throughout the floor joists between the first and second floors.
The failure of the hose line caused blunt force trauma to two firefighters outside. One was struck in the head and rendered unconscious, while the other was struck in the chest and knocked down. The firefighter with head injuries was transported to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, while the other is being treated at a local hospital with upper torso injuries. The injuries are serious but not believed to be life-threatening.
The building sustained major fire, smoke and heat damage. Firefighters had to deal with extremely cold conditions that caused frozen hydrants, valves, nozzles, and hose lines. Several hose lines froze into the ground, and nearby fire hydrants were difficult to get to as they were buried by snow.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.