Fire strikes downtown (2024)

Ladder trucks from Webster City, Eagle Grove and Fort Dodge converged to keep the blaze at 608 Second St. from spreading to the historic Webster Theater next door.

The building that burned is just east of the Webster Theater. The theater filled with smoke almost immediately as the blaze next door raged and there were worries that it would catch fire.

It wasn’t until late in the afternoon that firefighters confirmed it had no fire damage.

However, Jeff Pingel, president of the board of HERO — Help Entertain and Restore Organization, the group that restored the theater — said the building sustained “pretty serious water damage.”

-Messenger photo by Jane Curtis
The blaze at 608 Second St. in Webster City can be seen from the alley behind the building.

He planned to take photos of the interior today in order to assess the extent.

The bad news is that this damage hit the theater just days before it was set to host a free movie Saturday during the town’s big Christmas in the City celebration.

The theater, Pingel said Wednesday evening, is “closed for an extended period.”

The blaze erupted early in the afternoon and quickly overtook the 5,360-square-foot building that was built in 1900. It is now owned by Jason and Chelsea Watts, according to Hamilton County property records.

According to the building’s former owner, Gary Bettis, of Webster City, the fire’s origin appeared to be in the back apartment on the second floor of the building. Bettis said this as he stood at the entrance of the alley that runs behind his former building and watched as flames burst through the roof in that area.

-Messenger photo by Dave Borer
Water pours out of the second story of the building at 608 Second St. in Webster City after firefighters from eight area departments battled the blaze for hours.

The second floor contained two apartments, he said.

It is not clear if the apartments were occupied at the time the building burned, but there were no reports of injuries.

There was scanner traffic indicating that a firefighter may have been injured, but that has not been verified by officials.

The fire creeped into the second floor of the building to the east of the burning structure. That building houses a resale retail store called Sandi’s Attic, 606 Second St.

A cat belonging to a resident who lives in an apartment on the second floor of the Sandi’s Attic building was rescued late in the afternoon. The building is owned by Pulis Investments LLC. It was built in 1920, according to Hamilton County property records.

-Messenger photo by Dave Borer
Some self-contained breathing apparatus is propped against a larege diameter hoseline during Wednesday's fire.

Power had to be shut off in the area, which impacted buildings along the south side of Second Street. It also meant a four-way stop had to be implemented at the intersection of Second and Superior Streets. Law enforcement blocked off Second Street at its intersections with both Willson Avenue and Des Moines Street.

Bystanders stood, cell phones in hand, recording video of the blaze.

Overhead, a drone hovered.

Fire departments from Duncombe, Stratford, Blairsburg, Stanhope and Williams also responded. Webster City Police Department, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department, Van Diest Medical Center ambulance also responded. Multiple city departments were called into action as well.

Webster City Mayor John Hawkins watched as firefighters worked to contain the blaze. He said later, “I would like to thank our fire department and all the communities that came to our hour of need, and the rest of the city departments that helped make a bad situation better. The training and experience meant we had no casualties and major damage contained to one building.”

-Messenger photo by Dave Borer
Duncombe firefighters work at the scene of Wednesday's blaze.

The fire was called under control at 4:10 p.m.

-Messenger photo by Dave Borer
Fort Dodge was one of eight area fire departments that responded to the blaze at 608 Second St. in Webster City.