Four rescued from apartment fire in Iowa City

IOWA CITY - Firefighters rescued four residents from the second floor of an apartment building on Iowa City's west side Thursday morning.

According to a news release from the Iowa City Fire Department, firefighters were dispatched at 9:54 a.m. Thursday to a fire on the ground floor of a two-story apartment building at 2608 Bartelt Road.

Firefighters helped four people evacuate from a second-floor window of the building - they were trapped by smoke and heat, unable to exit the building on their own.

Crews brought the fire under control within 20 minutes, according to the release.

None of the residents or firefighters were injured.

The fire damaged the first floor and caused smoke damage throughout the building, according to the release, causing an estimated $50,000 in damage. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Iowa City fire marshal.

Eighteen firefighters responded to the initial alarm, according to the release, with additional support provided by the Iowa City Police Department, Johnson County Ambulance Service, Coralville Fire Department, Johnson County Joint Communications Center, Mid-American Energy and the Red Cross.