DES MOINES, Iowa —

An early-morning fire severely damaged a home in Des Moines, destroying at least the top half of the structure.

The fire broke out at a residence on Dean Avenue across the street from the State Fairgrounds, with firefighters responding to the scene shortly after 8 a.m.

Upon arrival, firefighters say they discovered two residents trapped on the upper floor of the home. Officials say they were able to get a ladder up and rescue the two people within two minutes of arriving.

“We practice ladder raising drills, we practice rescuing people, so on situations like this where there’s people stuck, we’re able to put it all together quickly and get them out of the residence and safe to the ground,” said District Chief Brian Davis. “None of the occupants required to be transpor

See Full Page