Fires

LOST dollars could rebuild laundromat, buy laptops for school (03/15/10)
Twenty-nine area groups are vying for grants from Plymouth County's $100,000 Local Options Sales Tax grant pool. The requests range from $50,000 to demolish and rebuild the fire damaged Kraft Kleaners in Kingsley to $1,928 for the Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department to buy rope rescue equipment to use with the aerial ladder fire truck...

Fire rips through roof of Le Mars home (03/02/10)
No one was injured in a Le Mars house fire that left a 6-by-8 foot hole in the home's roof Monday night. Police notified the Le Mars Fire Department at about 10:15 p.m. after receiving calls about a smokey odor in the neighborhood and seeing smoke coming from a house at 315 Sixth St. N.W...

Fire chief to hang up helmet after more than 40 years (02/26/10)
Le Mars Fire-Rescue Chief Wayne Schipper is about to start a new chapter in his life. Retirement. "I've had a pretty rewarding time," Schipper said. He will retire in June after 27 years as fire chief. He's been with the department 41 years. He started with the Le Mars fire auxiliary in the 1960s while still in high school, and since then rules for becoming a firefighter have evolved, Schipper said...

Outlet malfunction likely cause of Remsen house fire (02/24/10)
A malfunction of electrical equipment in an outlet likely caused the fire that heavily damageda rural Remsen home last Friday. No one was injured in the fire at the home of Chad Homan, 45183 C-44 south of Remsen, but damages are estimated to be more than $100,000...

Fire chief retires this summer (02/24/10)
A man who has served 43 years with fire and rescue and 27 years as the Le Mars Fire and Rescue chief will be retiring this summer. Wayne Schipper, of Le Mars, submitted his letter of retirement in mid-January, giving his retiring date as June 30, 2010...

Outlet malfunction likely cause of Remsen house fire (02/23/10)
A malfunction of electrical equipment in an outlet likely caused the fire that heavily damaged the home of Chad Homan in rural Remsen last Friday. No one was injured in the fire at 45183 C-44 south of Remsen, but damages are estimated to be more than $100,000...

Kingsley fire ruled accidental (02/23/10)
The fire that burned Kraft Kleaners in Kingsley Saturday was likely caused by a natural gas leak in a supply line to a heater, according to the state fire marshal. "The building is considered a total loss and all of the dry cleaning equipment and laundromat equipment may possibly be a total loss also," Deputy State Fire Marshal David Schipper said in a news release...

Kingsley fire ruled accidental (02/22/10)
The fire that burned Kraft Kleaners in Kingsley Saturday was likely caused by a natural gas leak in a supply line to a heater, according to the state fire marshal. "The building is considered a total loss and all of the dry cleaning equipment and laundromat equipment may possibly be a total loss also," Deputy State Fire Marshal David Schipper said in a news release...

Kingsley cleaners burned but not beaten (02/22/10)
A 63-year-old Kingsley business went up in flames Saturday night but owners say they're staying in business. Fire crews were called to Kraft Kleaners and Laundromat at about 9 p.m. after a 911 call and were on the scene for about three hours. "There was a lot of smoke coming out of the building and you could see flames inside," Kingsley Fire Chief Scott Bohle said. "We had the main fire knocked down in about 30-40 minutes."...

Calling all newbies: Group welcomes people to Le Mars (02/04/10)
Newcomers to Le Mars -- you're not alone. Locals and other newcomers are waiting to meet you and welcome you to the community. Misty Szczech, a Le Mars transplant herself, started hosting meetings for newcomers in August 2008. Since then her ideas have grown and caught fire with others...

Plymouth Oil safe after fire call (01/18/10)
It was probably the best-case scenario for a fire at Plymouth Oil near Merrill. There was minimal damage and no one was injured. Fire crews were called to the corn oil plant at 4:30 p.m. Saturday after plant manager Jim Cobb noticed smoldering corn germ in a building...

Fire damages Le Mars home (01/12/10)
No one was injured in a house fire in western Le Mars Monday morning but fire and smoke caused extensive damage to parts of the home. The Le Mars Fire Department responded to the fire at 105 Broadview Dr. in the Parkview Terrace subdivision near Highway 3 west after a passerby noticed smoke coming from the house...

Man catches Remsen house fire before too late (12/23/09)
By the time fire crews arrived, Will Peirson of Remsen already had the fire in his house mostly out. Remsen Fire Chief Doug Owens said the fire in Peirson's residence at 201 W. Fourth St. started before 6 p.m. Monday in a bedroom. Owens said the cause was a heater or an electrical short that started a fire...

Blaze destroys top of Hinton corn dryer (11/12/09)
Burning corn took out one of the Hinton Co-op's grain dryers Wednesday. The Hinton Fire Department responded to a 3:15 p.m. call reporting smoke coming from one of the two grain dryers at the Hinton Co-op. "There was a pretty good fire in the upper third of the grain dryer," Hinton Fire Chief Chad Beck said. "Corn in the dryer was burning and we don't really know why yet."...

Family hosts reverse trick-or-treating for needy (10/30/09)
A family will be collecting goods for people in need while they're giving out treats on Halloween. Dan and Deb Ritz, of Le Mars, are asking people to drop off non-perishable food and other items on Halloween to be delivered to the Christian Needs Center, a Le Mars food pantry...

Firefighting passion burns in family (10/08/09)
When their radios crackle to life, Steve, Donna, Tim and Dan Bolton go on red alert ready in an instant should their firefighting skills be needed. Steve began the trend as a firefighter with the Oyens Fire Department 19 years ago. He's been chief the last three years and before that served three as assistant chief...

Le Mars firefighters head into the danger zone (10/07/09)
Oct. 4-10 "Stay Smart! Don't Get Burned" In a house fire, the temperature can reach more than 1,000 degrees. Inside, smoke can turn a lit house pitch black in four minutes. Odorless toxic fumes can swirl through the rooms, making anyone inside sleepy, weak and confused...

Free soup: Tradition lives on in Tipi Village (09/02/09)
In the 1840s, when people pulled up to a fur trading camp, they'd be sure to find a pot on the fire. "Whoever had been on the trail could always depend on a hot meal," said Catfish Grinstead, stirring a pot in his tent in the Tipi Village at the National Old Time Country, Bluegrass and Folk Music Festival in Le Mars...

Wiltman honored as Firefighter of the Year (06/09/09)
The Le Mars Fire-Rescue Department's Firefighter of the Year for 2008-2009 is continuing a family tradition by serving as a volunteer on the fire squad. Kim Wiltman, of Le Mars, who started with the department in August 1990, is closing in on 19 years of service...

Fighting fires whets the appetite of five generations (05/15/09)
Fighting fires has been in Wayne Schipper's blood more than 100 years. The Le Mars fire chief's great-grandfather Henry Schipper started the tradition in the 1890s with his great uncle Hy (Harold) Schipper following in the early 1900s. "They just came and participated in the fire department to help citizens," Wayne said of his ancestors. "We just continue that tradition they established."...

Notify fire department of controlled rural burns (04/15/09)
Holding a controlled burn on your rural property? You need to notify your fire district. Le Mars Fire Chief Wayne Schipper said the fire chiefs of each district need to know the day people are burning and who is tending to the controlled burn at least within the same day of the burn...

Teen's unique hobby of fire breathing entertains (02/20/09)
Edgardo Ruedas has an unusual hobby -- fire breathing. Ruedas, a junior at Le Mars Community School, said he learned the skill of blowing torch oil onto a stick to create a fire plume about three months ago after seeing the lead in his favorite band "Immortal" do it...

Arson ruled cause of house fire (02/12/09)
Authorities ruled an arsonist set a house on fire last Sunday in southeast Le Mars. The fire, at 414 Fifth Ave. S.E., destroyed part of the house but caused no injuries. The house, a rental property owned by Chris DeRocher, of Le Mars, was vacant and unoccupied at the time, according to Fire Chief Wayne Schipper...

Fire roasts unoccupied house (02/09/09)
Flames tore through part of an unoccupied one-story house Sunday. Neighbors reported the blaze. The Le Mars Fire Department arrived at the rental house owned by Chris DeRocher at 414 5th Ave. S.E. at about 8 p.m., according to Fire Chief Wayne Schipper...

Don't get stuck in the cold: Plan for winter power outage (12/29/08)
By Charles Schwab Safety Specialist, Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Iowa State University Extension Winter power outages are always challenging but occasionally they can be dangerous if not handled correctly. The key to managing any emergency such as a power outage is to have a specific disaster plan to handle decisions that must be made in the moment of the crisis...

Learning proper techniques to fall safely could be life-saving (12/12/08)
Most people know what to do when they catch fire -- stop, drop and roll. But do you know what to do when you feel yourself falling on a slick, wet, snow-covered walkway? "Look down at your belly button, and put your hands over your belly button," said Tony Peyton, a physical therapist at Floyd Valley Hospital (FVH). "That will disperse your weight over a larger area and mean less chance of injury."...

AmeriCorps team preps Loess Hills for bison (09/11/08)
Men and women ages 18-24 from across the nation are building fences, restoring grasslands and helping with research in the Loess Hills through Oct. 2. The 10-member AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) team, has been working in the Broken Kettle Grasslands and Five Ridge Prairie in Plymouth County since August...

Fire chief asks for flags at half-staff Sept. 11 (09/10/08)
The Le Mars Fire Chief is asking citizens to fly flags at half-staff Thursday, Sept. 11 in memory of those that died in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. "We're trying to honor those that gave their lives, respect those who died," Schipper said. "I think it's vital that we continue a remembrance."...

Music festival uses hotel/motel tax grant to bring people to Le Mars (08/28/08)
A Hotel/Motel Sales Tax grant is paying off for Le Mars. More than $6,000 of the 5 percent sales tax revenue from hotel and motel rooms rented in town was given to a group advertising the 33rd annual National Old Time Country and Bluegrass Music Festival, held this year in Le Mars for the first time...

Bypass interchange work may light up next council agenda (08/21/08)
The probability of lighting the Highway 75 Bypass interchanges into Le Mars may well be among agenda items in the near future for the Le Mars City Council. Councilman Rex Knapp Tuesday shared with fellow council members the issue, which the joint urban renewal board addressed at its meeting earlier this week...

Akron man receives lifesaving award (08/12/08)
An 18-year-old Akron man was honored by Iowa's governor at the state fair on Friday for risking his own life to save another's. Shawn Milbrodt received a 2008 Governor's Lifesaving Award for helping save a 19-year-old's life last July. On July 20, 2007, Jason Bumsted, 19, was involved in a head on collision with another vehicle where both cars caught fire. Shawn Milbrodt and Grant Krentz, 21, of Sioux City, drove upon the accident shortly thereafter...

Rain doesn't dampen enthusiasm for fair (07/28/08)
Despite a burned extension cord at the Round Barn and a rainy start, the Plymouth County Fair went off without a hitch. Terry Reuter, fair board president, said there was a minor incident Friday at the Round Barn when an outside extension cord hanging in front of a spotlight lens heated up...

Pride Group fire in Primghar (07/18/08)
One man was injured after starting a fire near a Pride Group home for mentally ill individuals in Primghar, according to Pride Group CEO Mike Porter. The facility is owned and managed by Pride Group of Le Mars. The fire, according to Porter, was started with gasoline in a outbuilding near the group home, which houses 34 people. O'Brien County owns the outbuilding, Porter added...

Remsen man injured in grain explosion in Alton (07/10/08)
ALTON, Iowa (AP) -- One person has been injured in a fiery explosion at a grain elevator in Alton in northwest Iowa. Officials say Matthew Galles, 31, of Remsen, was unloading grain at the Midwest Farmers Cooperative on Wednesday when the explosion occurred about 3:15 p.m...

Council delays action on fire truck replacement (06/18/08)
Le Mars City Council members are expected to, as Mayor Kick Kirchoff put it, "meet at the trough" at their next meeting to discuss the city fire department's need for a new fire truck to replace an existing 1985 truck. Members voted to table the matter until Councilmen John Rexwinkel and Rex Knapp, absent at Tuesday's session, could be present to join in the discussions...

Blaze burned part of rural Westfield home (05/20/08)
A house fire in rural Westfield put a family out of their home on Sunday. Melissa Marlin called in the second-story fire at the home of her family of five at 3:51 p.m. Sunday. "The family was out working in the yard and noticed it," said Akron Fire Chief Shane Coyle. "There were no injuries."...

Schoenherr named Fireman of the Year (05/16/08)
Leonard Schoenherr loves being a fire fighter. Schoenherr was named Fireman of the Year for 2008 because of his work ethic, willingness to lend a hand and ambition. He started with Le Mars Fire Department as a reserve member in 2006 and even then began to shine...

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