Press Release:
The Falls City Fire Department, Falls City Rural Fire, Falls City Ambulance, and Falls City Police, responded to a structure fire shortly after 6:00 p.m. on Friday to 2616 Hiland Ave. The owners Merle & Sara Veigel, had just returned home after being gone not less than two hours and found the smoke detectors going off and the house completly full of smoke. Both departments responded with a total of twenty-five firemen who donned SCBA’s, as they made entry though the garage walk-in door with two attack lines working their way into the home as heavy fire was found on the south part of the 1st floor office area. A five-inch water supply was laid from the hydrant two blocks north. Exhaust fans were deployed to pull the smoke out to reduce the heat which had built up in the second floor, windows were open and thermal cameras were used to detect any fire spread. A Nebraska State Fire Marshal was called and arrived around 10:00 p.m. The fire remains under investigation by him and appears to be electrical in origin. Falls City Utilities were called to assist at the scene. No injuries were reported and firemen remained on the scene until after 11:00 p.m. and released the property back to its owners who were in contact with their insurance company to determine its loss.
-Jon McQueen, Public Information Officer for FCFD.