DES MOINES, Iowa - A woman was taken out of a house on a stretcher after a fire in Des Moines Tuesday afternoon.
Medics were seen performing CPR on the woman at the scene before she was taken to the hospital.
Neighbors tell WHO Channel 13 that two people were living in the house, at least one believed to be blind and may have been squatters. They say the owner of the house at 1319 12th Street passed away, and the house is supposed to be vacant.
Crews were called to the 1300 block of 12th Street around 5pm. Police reported the northern side of the home was engulfed in flame.
Mid-American Energy told fire dispatchers that the utilities-both gas and electric-had been shut down for some time. Mid-American did tell dispatchers that the house has a history of people who get around shutoffs to obtain utilities.
There is no update on the woman's condition. Photos by Gary Walther.
Blind woman rescued from house fire Wednesday
By Gary Barrett