Investigators: Cause of Iowa Raptor Project fire remains undetermined

Lang
5/8/24
Investigators say the cause of the February 16th fire at the Iowa Raptor Project remains undetermined.
That’s the conclusion reached following a joint investigation by the State Fire Marshal and the University of Iowa Police Department.
A news release from UI Police says because the fire had completely consumed the four impacted mews…which are a type of enclosure…by the time the Solon and North Liberty fire departments arrived on the scene, investigators could not determine the origin of the fire or any potential cause.
Four raptors were killed, including two red-tailed hawks, a Harris’s hawk, and a gyrfalcon (JER-falcon).
The Raptor Center is located on Raptor Ridge Rd NE, which intersects with Mehaffey Bridge Road just northeast of Mahaffey Bridge.
The case is now considered closed pending any new developments and the Iowa Raptor Project has re-opened to the public.