Published: January 21, 2008 09:26 am      

Maquoketa businesses gutted by fire Saturday

MAQUOKETA — A Saturday fire that destroyed several businesses in downtown Maquoketa and left four families homeless has been declared “not suspicious.”

The fire broke out in the 100 block of South Main Street around 2 a.m. Officers first on the scene stated that the building at 137 S. Main St., which houses Jackson County Home Furnishings, had flames coming from the second-floor windows. Officials announced Sunday that the fire started in that area and that with the extent of the damage caused by the fire, the cause will remain undetermined.

One person who was reported to be inside the structure escaped unharmed. Maquoketa police officers entered the building, but no one was located inside.

Due to the size of the fire and severely cold temperatures, many area departments were called in for tankers, aerial equipment and manpower to assist on scene. Nearly 30 local fire departments assisted in fighting the blaze including crews from Andrew, Preston, Sabula, LaMotte, Miles, Bellevue, Springbrook, Baldwin, Delmar, Davenport, Clinton, Eldridge, Welton, Lost Nation, Wheatland, DeWitt, Grand Mound, Charlotte, Calamus, Andover, Bernard, Cascade, Goose Lake, Long Grove, Onslow and Savanna and Fulton, Ill., as well as Century Concrete trucks.

Other agencies assisting at the scene included the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Maquoketa Ambulance, Gateway Red Cross, Bellevue Police, Jackson County Emergency Management, Maquoketa School District, Maquoketa Police and the Iowa State Patrol.

When city water supplies reached a critical low early in the day, more than 100 fire trucks were seen between the Maquoketa River and the downtown area hauling water. Water was also brought in from a quarry north of the city.

Though much of the fire had been contained by 4 p.m., crews continued to put out hot spots. Authorities continued to extinguish the remaining smoldering debris Saturday evening. Fire crews battled the blaze for more than 12 hours in extremely cold temperatures.

“It was a cold, terrible, miserable day to fight a fire,” Maquoketa Mayor Tom Messerli, also a volunteer firefighter, said during a press conference on Saturday afternoon.

The fire destroyed five buildings and badly damaged another. Several businesses were housed in the buildings including Jackson County Home Furnishings, Breitbach Floor Coverings, Sue’s Hallmark, Pickle Barrel Subs, Smiles on Main, Ameriprise Financial, the Area Substance Abuse Council, Beltone and Brian Aunan, CPA. A portion of the wall of Sue’s Hallmark fell onto the Main Street Plaza building as firefighters worked, nearly crushing personnel from Delmar. Crews sprayed water in the sub-zero temperatures on the nearby Mitchell Maskrey Mill and the Old City Hall Gallery to prevent the buildings from catching fire.

Two firefighters were taken to Jackson County Regional Health Center after slipping on the ice. Another firefighter went to the hospital with cold and exhaustion problems. All were treated and released.

Power went out in parts of the area until 9:30 a.m. Jackson County emergency management coordinator Lyn Medinger said residents of apartments above some of the stores were evacuated, as well as the residents of Hurst Hotel Apartments due to the power outage. According to the press release, a total of 48 residents were displaced due to power outages and/or fire damage to apartments. As of 9 p.m. Saturday, power to all residences had been restored.

Red Cross Disaster Action Team volunteers from Clinton and Maquoketa assisted nine families and provided emergency assistance for 17 people. Warming centers and temporary shelters were set up at the Maquoketa Community Center and new YMCA. Maquoketa Community Schools provided buses that were initially used as warming areas for firefighters. During the press conference, Messerli thanked the many members of the community who provided food and drinks for firemen and workers on the scene.

“There has been a great outpouring from the community. People have really turned out in droves to help the firemen,” he said.

He later commented that the city would rebuild that block of the downtown.

“It will come back. If anything, you know, it’s going to be a shock for a little while and it’s right in the middle of our downtown, where everybody can see it and be reminded of what happened,” Messerli said. “But we’ll come back. Something will be in there.”

Due to the extensive damage, investigators from the Iowa State Fire Marshal’s Office and ATF were called in to help with the investigation of the fire.

The city of Maquoketa has been working to get Main Street cleaned up and open to the public. Police Chief Brad Koranda said Sunday that he expected Main Street would be cleared for traffic before businesses opened their doors today.



The Associated Press contributed to this report.