UPDATE: Shutdown by Nearby Fire, Avenue of Saints Between Charles City and Nashua Reopened

The Avenue of the Saints (US Highway 27) between Charles City and Nashua reopened at about noon Monday (04.07), eight hours after the highway was shut down by a nearby fire.

Charles City Fire Chief Sam Deverell says the initial call came in just after 8:30 pm Sunday (04.06) night, when a passerby reported smoke and fire at Hawkeye Mold and Design, about five miles southeast of Charles City.

Deverell added that several factors went into the evacuation order.

Fire departments from Floyd, Colwell, Rudd, Rockford, Marble Rock, Nora Springs, and Nashua also responded to the scene.

At about 2 am Monday (04.07), the Avenue of the Saints from Nashua to the Charles City South Grand Avenue exit (Exit 218) was closed, which Pete Hjelmstad with the Iowa DOT’s Mason City District office, says came at the request of Floyd County Emergency Management per CCFD’s recommendation.

The Avenue of the Saints reopened at about noon Monday, while Old Highway Road remains closed to through traffic until further notice.

Deverell says all residents who were evacuated have been allowed to return home while the fire continues to “burn itself out.” 

The State Fire Marshal has been called in to determine the cause of the blaze.

Also assisting were Cerro Gordo County Emergency Management Agency, Floyd County Sheriff’s Office, Charles City Police Department, Floyd County Communications Center, Floyd County Search & Rescue, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Department of Transportation, Cedar Falls State Radio Communications, North Central Regional Emergency Response Commission (HazMat Team), CH Wilson, National Weather Service – La Crosse, Iowa Department of Homeland Security & Emergency Management, FEMA, and MidAmerican Energy.