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Small Memorial Park Likely Saved Much Of Exira’s Downtown From Friday Morning Fire

An early Friday morning fire in Exira has left four downtown buildings severely damaged or destroyed. The fire began at approximately 2:30 a.m. in Jerry’s Joint Bar at 100 West Washington St. where it spread west to a gift shop, Gabby’s and Crabby’s Place, an apartment, and a psychiatry office. One firefighter from the Harlan Fire Department, Justin Schechinger, credited a small gap in the buildings for preventing the fire from engulfing more of downtown. “That small park saved the other buildings in the district. If there wasn’t a break, we would probably still be trying to get the fire under control,” he says. Exira Fire Chief, Mike Bintner, indicated the fire was under control early Friday afternoon. No injuries were reported during the incident. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Crews will need to stay on the scene for at least the next 24 hours or more to watch for hot spots and flare-ups. Twenty-seven separate fire departments from the surrounding communities and over 70 firefighters helped to fight the blaze. Photos from the scene can be found included below.

 

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