Fires

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Prairie fires pushed by tinder-dry conditions and winds topping 60 mph (96 kph) led to evacuations in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa and destroyed homes and injured two firefighters south of Nebraska’s capital city of Lincoln, officials said.

The fire department described the fire as “unique and challenging,” with the additional factors of the wind turbine falling apart overhead and fiery falling debris.

While searching the two-story house, firefighters found a man and removed him. He was taken to UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s Hospital with serious injuries.

One firefighter and one civilian were injured Thursday in a house fire in Cedar Rapids, according to a news release from the Cedar Rapids Fire Department.

The Cedar Rapids Downtown Library will be closed Wednesday through Friday to allow for a final cleaning after a fire at the library in July

The property owners of the acreage in the 5800 block of Quality Ridge Road had a burn permit for brush and were burning an area north of the vacant house

Tom Fagan has lived in the Kansas City area his entire life, but in September he’ll be starting a job as the new Marion fire chief.

The Cedar Rapids Downtown Library has opened part of the lobby for returns and hold pickup after a small fire on July 27 caused the library to close.

Fire crews responded to heavy smoke coming from the pavilion’s restroom on Wednesday afternoon

The Downtown Cedar Rapids Public Library doesn’t yet have an estimate of how long it will take to reopen after a small fire closed the building on Wednesday.

The Cedar Rapids Downtown Public Library is closed until further notice after a fire broke out in a light fixture above the Commons area of the library Wednesday.

The church announced last week there will be in-person service Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. at River Community Church, 3001 Muscatine Ave, Iowa City.