A busy weekend for Decorah Fire Department

The Decorah Fire Department handled four calls over the weekend.  In addition to Saturday's house fire, the department was called out around 5:00 p.m. Friday for a report of a car fire in the Wal-Mart parking lot on Old Stage Road.  The fire was found to be coming from the engine compartment of a 1994 Ford F-150 pickup truck.  Bystanders used fire extinguishers to protect other vehicles close to the truck that was on fire.  Decorah Fire Department personnel extinguished the truck fire after they arrived.  No damage was noted to other vehicles.  The cause of the fire is undetermined at this time.  The DFD was assisted by the Decorah Police Department, Winneshiek Co. Sheriff's Dept and the Decorah LEC Dispatch Center.

Saturday afternoon around 2:15 the Decorah Fire Department received a call about a 12-year-old child who had been washed out of a capsized canoe and was floating down the river.  It was reported the child did have on a personal flotation device.  The Decorah Fire Department deployed their Rapid Deployment Craft and boat at the Chattahoochee park.  After a brief search the child was found safe with other persons on the river downstream from the park.  The other persons in the canoe at the time of the capsize were also located.  The child was reunited with her family and no injuries were reported.  The DFD was assisted by the Decorah Police Department, Winneshiek Co. Sheriff's Dept, Winneshiek Medical Center Paramedics and the Decorah LEC Dispatch Center.

Just before 3:00 p.m. Saturday the Decorah Fire Department received a report of an unknown fire alarm at the Winneshiek Medical Center.  DFD units responded.  Assistance was requested from the Calmar Fire Department due to DFD units already on the rescue call.  On arrival of the DFD units, no fire or problem was found.  The call for the Calmar Fire Department was canceled.