Fire causes significant damage to Iowa City home

IOWA CITY - An Iowa City residence sustained significant damage after a fire Sunday evening.

The Iowa City Fire Department responded to a fire at 634 S. Lucas St. at 7:49 p.m. Responding crews encountered smoke coming from the roof of the 1.5-story residence.

Residents informed the firefighters that a second floor tenant was unaccounted for and crews did a sweep of the residence, but could not find the tenant. The tenant was later determined to not be home at the time of the fire.

The fire was found in the rear of the second floor, but crews were forced to fight the blaze from outside of the residence due to 'changing fire and smoke conditions,” according to a city news release. The fire was brought under control in an hour and a half, but firefighters remained on scene throughout the night.

Seventeen firefighters and a battalion chief responded to the fire and off-duty personnel were called in to respond to other calls and staff the city's fire stations. The fire department also received assistance from the Iowa City Police Department, Johnson County Ambulance Service, Mid-American Energy and Noel's Tree and Crane Service. The Hills, Coralville, Solon and West Branch fire departments also assisted by providing backfill to the city's fire stations.

The fire department said the building sustained significant damage, though no cost estimate is available. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.