2 taken to hospital after nighttime Geneva Tower apartment fire

CEDAR RAPIDS — Two men were transported to a hospital early Tuesday because of a fire in the Geneva Tower apartment building downtown.

According to a Cedar Rapids Fire Department news release, an automatic alarm dispatched firefighters at 2:43 a.m. to the 12-story building at 310 Fifth Ave. SE. There also were reports of smoke on the seventh floor.

Firefighters found the apartment where the fire started and were able to extinguish the blaze and prevent it from spreading to other floors or apartments, the release said.

Fire crews searched and removed seventh-floor residents until the smoke was ventilated out of the building.

Two men, ages approximately 45 and 65, were transported to a hospital.

One person was displaced from their apartment.

The Salvation Army, American Red Cross, Cedar Rapids Police Department and Area Ambulance Service assisted at the scene.

The fire remains under investigation.

In February 2022, a larger fire on the ninth floor of the same high-rise building was caused by unattended smoking materials, investigators said.