Two adults died in a fire this morning in a rural Austin residence at 2919 16th Ave.

Thursday, February 15, 2001

Two adults died in a fire this morning in a rural Austin residence at 2919 16th Ave. SW.

A neighbor noticed a "strange glow" coming from the home and called 911 at about 5:15 a.m., Mower County Sheriff Barry Simonson said.

When Mower County sheriff’s deputies and the Austin Fire Department arrived, the house already was engulfed in flames.

The home, which sits among trees along a fairly open road on the edge of Austin, appears to be a total loss.

Smoke still was billowing from the roof at 9:30 a.m., as the fire continued to burn. Firefighters used a chainsaw to ventilate the roof.

"This is one of the more damaged houses I’ve seen in quite a while," Simonson said. "It was obviously tough to put out."

Simonson said he was not aware of any injuries to firefighters as a result of the fire.

The two victims have not been identified and the cause of the fire was not known as of 10 a.m. today. Names of the two victims are not being released pending notification of the family and further investigation.

Additional information was expected to be released later today, Chief Deputy Sheriff Terese Amazi said.