North Liberty apartment fire injures two children

Two children were taken to the hospital after an early Monday morning fire in a North Liberty apartment building, according to a news release from the city.

The North Liberty Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at the apartment, at 1010 Rachael St., at 4:28 a.m. Monday. There was smoke visible on the building’s second floor, and the building’s sprinkler system was activated.

Firefighters forced their way into a second-floor apartment where the smoke was coming from and found fire and smoke in the living room. Two children were found in a bedroom and removed from the building, according to a news release.

The department has not released information about the ages of the children or said whether any adults were in the apartment at the time.

The children were taken to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics by the Johnson County Ambulance Service. The severity of their injuries was not disclosed. Firefighters also found a dog in the apartment and removed it, but the news release did not state whether it was injured.

The fire mostly had been extinguished by the sprinkler system when firefighters arrived. Fire crews confirmed it was out and removed smoke from the building, staying on scene for about two hours, the release states.

The North Liberty Fire Department was assisted by the Coralville Fire Department, the North Liberty Police Department, the Johnson County Ambulance Service and the Johnson County Emergency Communications Center, according to the release.

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