Ames Firefighters Contain Blaze That Damaged Local Home
When I first came across the news about the Ames home fire, the first thing that stood out wasn’t the flames — it was how quickly things could’ve turned tragic. Around 4:42 p.m. on a quiet Tuesday, firefighters in Ames were called to a home near Tripp Street and South Franklin Avenue. By the time they got there, thick smoke was pouring out of a second-floor window. Inside, two bedrooms were already burning.
The fire crews moved fast. Within minutes, they stopped the flames from spreading beyond the top floor — something that doesn’t happen often once a blaze gains momentum. Thankfully, the family made it out safely. Sadly, their two cats didn’t survive, which hits harder than most people realize. Pets are family too.
What really struck me here is how the family’s quick action likely made all the difference. One of the residents, a woman who was downstairs when the alarms went off, didn’t panic. She searched, found the fire, and got her kids out. Then, when the extinguisher didn’t work, she did something most people forget — she closed the door to the burning room before calling 911. That small move slowed the fire’s spread long enough for firefighters to take control…