Fire drives Washington County family from home

A Richmond couple was forced from their home Tuesday afternoon after a fire destroyed the inside of the residence.

Emergency crews were dispatched to 452 Main Street around 2:40 p.m. for a report of a house fire. Upon arrival, crews found the house fully engulfed. Kalona fire chief Steve Yotty said crews efficiently extinguished the blaze, but not before the inside of the home was destroyed.

Yotty said the outside of the home is still intact, but the fire and smoke damage to the interior of the building will likely make it unliveable.

Don and Jane Gatlin, the owners of the home, were assisted by the American Red Cross who provided them with Client Assistance Cards for food, clothing and other essentials. They were also offered hotel accommodations, but turned them down to stay with relatives.

Yotty said another woman was living with the Gatlins to assist Don with medical issues. The woman also declined hotel accommodations.

Richmond is a small town about four miles south of Kalona. The cause of the fire was still unknown as of Wednesday morning, Yotty said. Crews from Kalona, Washington and Washington County assisted at the scene.

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