Young Person’s Quick Response Helps Save Structure

Oskaloosa Fire Chief Scott Vaughan listens as Lily Woods describes what she saw before she called 911.

September 26th, 2022

Oskaloosa, Iowa – The call came in at approximately 6:45 pm Sunday from a person using the skate park, who saw smoke and flames coming from a building to the north.

Fire crews arrived and found a fire inside the garage behind the residence at 209 North A.

When fire crews arrived, flames were shooting out an upper vent of the structure.

Firefighters quickly knocked down the flames, saving the garage from further damage and the fire from potentially spreading to the nearby home.

11-year-old Lily Woods was the one who called in the fire. She was at the skate park with friends when she noticed the fire, verified what she saw, and called the Mahaska County 911 Center.

Oskaloosa Fire Chief Scott Vaughan praised Lily for reporting the fire. “She did the right thing; she saw, she didn’t try to do anything herself. She dialed 911 right away, and she did exactly what she needed to do.”

No injuries were reported as a result of the fire, and the cause remains under investigation, “but nothing seems suspicious.”