Iowa City home burns; family away at the movies

Fire investigators say a family that lived in rural Iowa City was at the movies when their house at 4300 Sioux Avenue SE caught fire.

The house, south of the intersection of U.S. Highway 6 and Scott Boulevard, is in rural Iowa City but inside the West Branch fire district. Yet with smoke that could be seen for miles, other fire departments, including Iowa City, Hills, Oxford and Solon, also worked the scene after the first call came in around 8 p.m. Friday.

The family who lives at the property did not want to comment, but investigators said the house used to be known as the “White House” in Iowa City, a children's clothing shop, before the home was moved to Sioux Avenue.

Dick Stoolman, of the West Branch Fire Department, said crews would be at the scene throughout the night to put out any flare-ups. He said, at 11 p.m. Friday, that, after just three hours on scene, determining a cause would take more time.

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