Cedar Rapids woman killed in fire identified

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Cedar Rapids woman who was killed in a garage fire Thursday has been identified as Mia Schmidt, 57, according to a news release from the Cedar Rapids Fire Department.

The fire department was called to the 1800 block of Hamilton Street SW at 7:42 a.m. for a fire in a separated garage. The small building was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, and they were unable to safely enter the structure to look for Schmidt, who was trapped inside.

After several minutes of fighting the fire, it was extinguished enough that rescue teams were able to search the garage, where they found the woman. She was removed from the building and treated on scene, and then taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced deceased.

The cause of the fire still is under investigation, the release states.

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