GC Fire responds to pair of weekend calls

A pair of calls kept the Glenwood City Fire Department busy this past weekend.

The department was paged to a fire in an outdoor wood stove in the Town of Glenwood shortly before 10:30 p.m. on Friday, February 20.

When firefighters arrived at the Dale and Joann Berends farm, 3073 180th Ave., Glenwood City, they found an outdoor wood-burning stove completely engulfed in flames and  threatening surrounding structures which included a home and large shed just some 50 feet from the stove.

The structure surrounding the wood stove was completely destroyed by the time firrefighters reached the scene, said Glenwood City Fire Chief Greg Holden.

He reported that flames were coming from the chimney area of the wood stove and that firefighters had to pull the wood pieces from the area near the wood burner and extinquish each individual piece.

Firefighters were on scene for almost two hours before the fire was completely put out.

Chief Holden noted that no other structures were damaged by the fire but that the wood stove and its surrounding enclosure were complete losses.

A passerby had seen the fire and stopped to notify Dale Berends that his wood stove was on fire. 9-1-1 was called.

A little more than 30 hours later, Glenwood City was called to the Village of Downing for a vehicle fire located near a home.

Firefighters arrived shortly after 5:30 a.m. Sunday, February 22 at the Jeremiah Hillstead residence, 304 Chicago Avenue in Downing, to find a pick-up truck fully engulfed in flames.

Glenwood City Fire personnel quickly doused the fire but the truck, a 2000 Ford F-150, was destroyed.

The fire was contained to the vehicle and no other structures were affected, reported Holden.

The cause of the fire is unknown at this time but it is believed to have started in the engine compartment.