Jasper County authorities say 1 person died in rural Colfax house fire Saturday

Jasper County law enforcement says one person was killed in a house fire Saturday, March 16 in rural Colfax. Fire crews on Sunday, March 17 recovered the body of the occupant who was unable to escape the blaze. Newton News was told first responders had spent hours removing debris after the flames were extinguished

According to a press release from Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, a 911 call was made at 10:43 p.m. about a house fire at the 8000 block of South 52nd Avenue West, one-and-a-half miles southeast of Colfax. When first responders arrived, the home was fully engulfed in flames and the number of occupants unknown.

While crews from multiple departments worked to extinguish the fire, it was determined one individual one inside of the home. At approximately 10:45 a.m. March 17, search and rescue crews located the deceased individual — whose name has not been released — in the basement of the home.

The body will be sent to the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner for identification and autopsy. The investigation in still ongoing.

In addition to the Colfax Fire Department and Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, mutual aid was provided by agencies in Baxter, Knoxville, Mingo, Mitchellville, Monroe, Newton, Prairie City and the Iowa State Fire Marshall’s Office, who have helped put out the flames, search for the occupant and investigate the fire.