At 3:11 PM Friday, June 16, 2023, the Burlington Fire Department responded to a reported house fire at 502 S. Leebrick in Burlington, IA. Burlington firefighters arrived at 3:15 PM and located smoke and fire coming from the rear of the home. Firefighters gained access to the second floor and extinguished the fire by 3:30 PM.
The multi-family two-story wood frame residence is owned by Yesara LLC, which is occupied by Carol Foust, who resides on the first floor, and Martavia Maxwell, who resides on the second floor. Damage is estimated at $35,000 to the structure and $20,000 to the contents. Both renters were home at the time of the incident and were alerted by the neighbor. The only working smoke detector was located in the attic.
The fire is considered accidental due to unintended cooking items on the stovetop.
Eleven initial Burlington firefighters responded to the call, with an additional eight off-duty Burlington firefighters being called in on a box alarm. West Burlington Fire Department responded on automatic aid. Mediapolis Fire Department assisted with a change of quarters. Alliant Energy, American Red Cross, Superior Ambulance, and Burlington Police Dept. also assisted with the incident. There were no injuries reported. Firefighters cleared the scene at 4:23 PM.