As the firemen were trying to put out the fire, the water froze before it hit the fire because it was TEN BELOW ZERO!!! Then the CITY RAN OUT OF WATER!!!! Crazy I'm telling you! Thank goodness no one was hurt.
Here is the story reported by KCRG in Cedar Rapids:
Maquoketa Fire
Josh Hinkle, Anchor/Reporter
As many as five businesses in downtown Maquoketa are now gone, and four families living in the apartments above are now homeless. Firefighters from nearly 20 departments battled the blaze early Saturday morning that stretched nearly a half block.
A thick plume of smoke visible from miles away drew dozens to downtown Maquoketa. An early morning fire gutted an entire city block. A once historic setting is now burned beyond recognition.
Every department in Jackson County showed up, along with several others from outside the area, even as far away as Illinois.
Temperatures dropped to ten below zero causing plenty of problems for firefighters and their equipment. The water used to douse the flames quickly turned into icicles.
Firefighters used up the town's water supply, and soon had to truck in water from the Maquoketa River.
The fire destroyed Jackson County Home Furnishings, Breitbach Floor Coverings, Sue's Hallmark, Pickle Barrel Subs, Smiles on Main, Ameriprise Financial and ASAC.
I couldn't help myself and had to stop on the way home from church to see it for myself. It will be interesting to see how the community comes together. The folks in the Midwest know how to take care of each other. Check out this link to see more photos.
