Fire Hits Iowa Offices

Two West Des Moines fire crews were called Friday morning to an office building at the 6400 block of Westown Parkway. The building houses the headquarters for Kum and Go, Liberty Bank, Amici, the Des Moines Menace and Des Moines Transport. Employees called firefighters at about 5:40 a.m. When fire crews arrived they saw smoke and flames coming from the building. Mike Whitsell, spokesman for the West Des Moines Fire Department, said the fire was contained in the building's main electrical room. He said a sprinkle head above the area where the fire started was activated by the heat. Whitsell said firefighters could not go inside the room right away because of the water and electrical situation. He said that MidAmerican Energy has since de-energized the building. He said the electricity will probably be down until the damage is assessed.