Fire destroys Lake home

(Above) An overheated power cord is being blamed for an early morning fire which completely destroyed a home on Pascal Street on the lake’s south shore.  The occupant of the home escaped safely.-Reporter photo by Chris Barragy.

An overheated power cord to a window air conditioner is suspected of causing a house fire in the early morning hours of Monday, July 5.

At approximately 1:55 a.m. the Clear Lake Fire Department responded to a report of a house fire at 15274 Pascal St., on the south side of Clear Lake.  Initial reports indicated that flames could be seen coming from the home, with the possibility of a neighboring home starting to catch on fire.  

First arriving fire crews found flames coming out of the front side of the home through a sliding glass door with no extension to homes close by. The home and its contents were a total loss.   

Firefighters quickly knocked down the fire, 

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preventing further spread to neighboring homes.  

The home is owned by Dean Schaefer, of rural Mason City, and rented by Zeb Reisinger.  Reisinger was home at the time of the fire and escaped without injury.

The CLFD responded with 19 firefighters, two medics on three engine companies, the CLFD fire boat, a squad truck, and an ambulance.  The Ventura Fire Department arrived with one engine company with five firefighters.  The Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department and Alliant Energy also assisted at the scene.

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