Cedar Rapids house fire kills two cats, displaces family

CEDAR RAPIDS - Two cats died in a house fire that displaced a Cedar Rapids family Wednesday morning.

Firefighters were called to 1403 Second Ave. SE around 4:04 a.m. Wednesday for a report of a house fire and possible explosion. Fire officials said the fire started in the basement of the home and spread of through the walls. The explosion likely came from some paint cans in the basement that ignited.

Authorities said the balloon frame construction of the 120-year-old home allowed the fire to travel quickly through the walls. The official cause of the fire is undetermined at this time.

Noah Foreman, 18, said he was inside the home when the fire started, sleeping in the living room. Foreman said he woke up when he heard a loud bang. When he got up to investigate, Foreman said he realized the house was filling with smoke.

'Flames were shooting out of the vents in the walls,” said Foreman, a student at Jefferson High School.

Foreman said he called up to his mother, stepfather and brother and the family exited the house unharmed, despite their vision being blurred by smoke.

Once outside, the family called 911 and called for their dogs, which were still inside the home. Foreman said one of the dogs came out on its own and firefighters rescued two others dogs that were still inside. Two cats died in the fire.

Firefighters left the home around 7 a.m.

Foreman said everything happened so quickly that they were unable to grab any personal belongings. Firefighters did retrieve some shoes for the family.

'We don't know the extent of the damage yet,” Foreman said. 'We just know the first floor is basically gone.”

The family lived at the home for seven years. Foreman said they are being assisted by the Salvation Army.

According to a May 2015 Gazette article, the home was built in 1896 on land that had once been a fairground and driving park. The five-bedroom home was built with a third-floor ballroom. An unattached garage once served as the park ticket office.