Orange City landmark burns
By Michele Linck, Journal staff writer | Posted: Monday, June 30, 2008
A firefighter on an aerial rig pours water onto the two-story building that burned in downtown Orange City, Iowa, Sunday evening. (Photo by Duane Beeson, Journal correspondent)
ORANGE CITY, Iowa -- Hundreds of Orange Cityans stood on downtown sidewalks Sunday evening watching as firefighters from seven area fire departments worked to keep a smoky blaze in a downtown landmark from spreading to neighboring businesses.
Firefighters manning two aerial trucks poured heavy streams of water onto the roof of the corner building from two sides and onto Jansen's Food Center directly behind the burning building in hopes of keeping the inferno from spreading.
Dozens of other firefighters attacked the blaze from the ground in shifts. Several set up large fans in the doorways of the adjacent clothing store, L&K, apparently in a attempt to keep the fire from invading the store.
The two-story brick building, which former city manager Don Schreur said dated to about 1920, held Hannah's Hallmark and a Curves for Women studio on its first floor. The upper floor had been vacant for about 30 years or more, according to Wally Tschopp, who has owned the building for nearly 30 years.
He said the building is insured.
Tschopp and his wife had driven from their Spirit Lake, Iowa, home in time to see firefighters chop through the upper windows, which had been covered with decorative wood panels, and aim powerful water streams into the interior. A while later, red flames could be seen through the storefront windows licking down from the first-floor ceiling.
Tschopp said there wasn't much in the upstairs, which once served as a hospital, then a hotel and later apartments. He said there were metal bed frames left there, along with the furnace and air conditioner.
Connie and Doug Julius, owners of the Curves exercise studio there also watched from across the street. Connie Julius said she was amazed that the artificial bouquet of tulips and daffodils in the studio window had not burned.
"They said the first thing that exploded out of there was the window near my desk," she said. "My first prayer of thankfulness is that no women were in there." Julius said there could have been 20 women on the "circuit" of exercise equipment." She said her older members told her they remembered having babies on the second floor when the building served as a hospital.
Schreur confirmed that it was once the Dornink Hospital. He said the first floor once held a Gimbles' department store, and the corner where Curves is, was once a law office and then a restaurant.
Julius said she was also praying no firefighters would be injured. She said she didn't know what she would do in the morning. She typically arises at 4 a.m. to run the facility, which she started as a mission of sorts, especially to help older women stay fit and out of nursing homes.
Lyle Huisman, co-owner of L&K could be seen about 90 minutes after the roughly 5:30 p.m. fire call was made, carrying tuxedos, computers and files from his store.
Employees of Jansen's Food Center did the same at that store. Hulsart said owners Lu and Jane Jansen were on their way to Eugene, Ore., where they will watch their daughter, Rachel, compete in the Olympic Trials in the shot put.
Six fire departments responded to mutal aid calls from Orange City, including Sioux Center, Le Mars, Alton, Sheldon, Granville and Maurice.
Firefighters manning two aerial trucks poured heavy streams of water onto the roof of the corner building from two sides and onto Jansen's Food Center directly behind the burning building in hopes of keeping the inferno from spreading.
Dozens of other firefighters attacked the blaze from the ground in shifts. Several set up large fans in the doorways of the adjacent clothing store, L&K, apparently in a attempt to keep the fire from invading the store.
The two-story brick building, which former city manager Don Schreur said dated to about 1920, held Hannah's Hallmark and a Curves for Women studio on its first floor. The upper floor had been vacant for about 30 years or more, according to Wally Tschopp, who has owned the building for nearly 30 years.
He said the building is insured.
Tschopp and his wife had driven from their Spirit Lake, Iowa, home in time to see firefighters chop through the upper windows, which had been covered with decorative wood panels, and aim powerful water streams into the interior. A while later, red flames could be seen through the storefront windows licking down from the first-floor ceiling.
Tschopp said there wasn't much in the upstairs, which once served as a hospital, then a hotel and later apartments. He said there were metal bed frames left there, along with the furnace and air conditioner.
Connie and Doug Julius, owners of the Curves exercise studio there also watched from across the street. Connie Julius said she was amazed that the artificial bouquet of tulips and daffodils in the studio window had not burned.
"They said the first thing that exploded out of there was the window near my desk," she said. "My first prayer of thankfulness is that no women were in there." Julius said there could have been 20 women on the "circuit" of exercise equipment." She said her older members told her they remembered having babies on the second floor when the building served as a hospital.
Schreur confirmed that it was once the Dornink Hospital. He said the first floor once held a Gimbles' department store, and the corner where Curves is, was once a law office and then a restaurant.
Julius said she was also praying no firefighters would be injured. She said she didn't know what she would do in the morning. She typically arises at 4 a.m. to run the facility, which she started as a mission of sorts, especially to help older women stay fit and out of nursing homes.
Lyle Huisman, co-owner of L&K could be seen about 90 minutes after the roughly 5:30 p.m. fire call was made, carrying tuxedos, computers and files from his store.
Employees of Jansen's Food Center did the same at that store. Hulsart said owners Lu and Jane Jansen were on their way to Eugene, Ore., where they will watch their daughter, Rachel, compete in the Olympic Trials in the shot put.
Six fire departments responded to mutal aid calls from Orange City, including Sioux Center, Le Mars, Alton, Sheldon, Granville and Maurice.
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Susan West wrote on Jun 30, 2008 4:07 PM:
Dwight wrote on Jun 30, 2008 1:39 PM:
Which fire dept. is "Check Your Facts" on?
(a) Hull
(b) Ireton
(c) Sheldon
Clearly "Check Your Facts" is serving for his personal satisfaction of being "the big (wo)man", not serving the greater good. It's time to grow up. "
Does it matter wrote on Jun 30, 2008 1:00 PM:
Check Your Facts wrote on Jun 30, 2008 10:41 AM:
As John pointed out, there were four aerial trucks on scene, not two.
Also, there were nine fire departments on scene: Orange City, Alton, Sioux Center, Sheldon, Le Mars, Granville, Hull, Maurice, and Ireton.
If you're going to be a reporter, at least report the facts accurately. "
Peter VanGuttenmulm wrote on Jun 30, 2008 10:30 AM: