A little more than two weeks before Christmas, fire at Sioux City apartment building leaves 38 occupants without a home

According to Sioux City Fire Rescue, a call came in at 8:53 p.m. about a structure fire at the Ida Apartments building at 1901 Pierce St. Once there, crews saw smoke and flames visible from the roof of the three-story complex. 

"Upon entering the structure, firefighters encountered heavy fire in the attic," according to Sioux City Fire Rescue.

In total, more than 25 people, and six fire department vehicles, responded to the fire call and worked to put out the flames while also making sure the several-dozen tenants were safe.

Sioux City Transit actually assisted Fire Rescue in getting people to shelter at First United Methodist Church. The city department transported multiple residents suffering from diabetes to MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center as well.

"Definitely outside of our normal service hours," Sioux City Transit Operations Supervisor Jason Allen said. "(But) we were able to unite, dispatch and serve those people. For some of them it was the worst night ever."

Allen said, two drivers, Brian Lake, and Mike Glau, were out until midnight helping with the rescue.

"It was a coordinated effort between a lot of different agencies and we have a great staff at Sioux City Transit willing to go above the call," he said.

According to Sioux City Fire Rescue, the American Red Cross is assisting residents since the apartment building on Sioux City's north side sustained heavy fire, smoke and water damage and has been red-tagged by the city. 

"First and foremost is to find a place to live," said Adam Dean, a disaster response volunteer with the Red Cross. "Secondly is to make sure that any health care needs are met, pharmaceuticals or anything else that may have been left behind. Clothing and food are the other things. Those are the general needs of these people."

At First United, where numerous former occupants are sheltering, there are cots and places for folks to charge their phones to call loved ones and stations to fill out paperwork to begin the process toward a new residence. One table was filled with bagged lunches which people could grab. A child at the church asked volunteers if she could microwave her sandwich so she could have melted cheese on her ham sandwich.  

Dean said the transition period for the displaced residents, many of whom are lower income, is critical.

"It is going to be a little bit of a struggle and it is extremely crucial that we know who these people are and we know their situations, and we can find them the best help for them," he said.

For some, Dean said, they will only need assistance for a few days. But for others, it could be much longer. 

"It'll just depend on every individual's needs," he said.

Cody Brown, an Ida Apartments resident, had only been living in the building for two months when he was awakened by the alarm. He got out on his own but wasn't able to bring many belongings with him. He said he doesn't believe he'll be able retrieve them anytime soon.

"It's devastating. I'm homeless now," he said. Before finding a permanent residence, Brown said he may try the Sioux City Warming Shelter. 

The mailing address for the apartment is listed as Choice Property Management of Sioux City. The property manager for the business said there's still a lot of work to do.

"It’s a terrible thing and we’re working with the Fire Department and Red Cross to get the tenants some suitable living conditions and get them taken care of," he said. "That’s the most important thing."