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Wireless internet provider bldg. in Perry destroyed by fire

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February 16th, 2025 by Ric Hanson

PERRY, Iowa [WHO-TV} — The Bits of Technology Wireless Internet (BTWI) headquarters is considered a total loss following a fire on Saturday. WHO-TV reports Perry Fire Chief Grason Hill said that at approximately 10:30-a.m, Saturday, crews were called to the 14000 block of 210th Street, BTWI headquarters, on reports of a structure fire. Perry fire crews began battling the flames with the assistance of the Yale Jamaica Bagley Fire Department, and Dallas County Fire Department and Medical Services.

Crews were able to get the fire under control but had to return sometime in the afternoon due to a rekindle. Crews were able to extinguish the rekindle and have moved onto an investigation. According to authorities, employees were working when they received a notification indicating a problem, they were then able to identify the fire. No one was in the building, and no injuries were reported.

BTWI provides high speed wireless internet to rural areas across Boone, Butler, Dallas, Greene, Grundy, Guthrie, Madison, and Warren Counties, according to their website. The headquarters and a nearby semi-trailer, that was reportedly full of equipment, are considered a total loss, according to authorities.

A preliminary investigation reveals the fire started in the northeast corner of the building and may have originated from a wooden stove with several logs of wood around it. An investigation into the cause, though, was ongoing.