(Red Oak, Iowa) – Firefighters from Red Oak, Elliott and Stanton responded to a reported structure fire early this (Monday) morning. The call about the fire at 814 E. Nuckols Street (The James Grove residence) in Red Oak went out at around 2:10-a.m. According to Red Oak Fire Chief John Bruce, upon arrival, fire crews encountered a large storage structure (approximately 1500 square feet) fully engulfed in flames. There is a residential structure approximately 30 feet to the north that was an exposure concern, as well as, embers had started a small grass fire along the hillside of the railroad tracks.

Additional mutual aid was called in from Essex FD and Shenandoah FD. Bruce said the structure and surrounding area were comprised of years of accumulated materials which created challenges for fireground suppression operations. Fire ground operations were terminated at approximately 5:00 a.m. No injuries were reported. Fire remains under investigation at time of release. Unknown dollar amount of loss at time of release. (Photos via the Red Oak FD Facebook page)