Fire breaks out at home north of Independence

UPDATE: Fire damaged a farmhouse just north of Independence early Thursday, but no one was injured.

Firefighters responded around 6:10 a.m. to 2056 Jamestown Ave. The first crew on the scene saw smoke and flames coming from the two-story house, authorities said.

Capt. Charles Conklin of the Independence Fire Department said the woman who lived in the house woke up to the smell of smoke and a crackling noise in the walls.

“Thankfully she woke up, or we probably would have had a fatality here,” Conklin said.

Firefighters said the blaze originated in an upstairs room. They were still searching for an official cause, Conklin said.

Conklin said there was heavy fire damage to the upstairs room, and smoke damage throughout the house.

Traffic on Highway 150 was reduced to one lane to make room for emergency vehicles. A snow plow from the Iowa Department of Transportation also assisted at the scene, spreading salt on the steep, icy driveway to make it an easier approach for the fire trucks.

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