Six family members escaped uninjured from a large house fire early Thursday just west of downtown Council Bluffs.
Several pets died in the fire.
Firefighters were called at 3:30 a.m. to a house at 1427 2nd Ave. Upon arrival, fire crews reported heavy smoke and flames coming from the two-story house.
The blaze kept fire crews occupied for five hours.
The house is a total loss, a Council Bluffs Fire Department spokesman said. The family was relocated to a motel.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The city’s public works department was called to remove ice from the streets.
