One Injured In Iowa Seminary Fire

July 21, 2004
One person was hospitalized and five priests temporarily lost their residences when fire broke out at the Roman Catholic Vianney House Seminary Tuesday.
DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) -- One person was hospitalized and five priests temporarily lost their residences when fire broke out at the Roman Catholic Vianney House Seminary Tuesday.

One of the seminarians who lives in the house was taken to Mercy Medical Center-Dubuque for injuries sustained from the fire. The Dubuque Fire Department would not release the victim's name Tuesday.

Besides the five Vianney House residents who had to vacate the building, some 60 employees in the Dubuque Archdiocesan Center also had to evacuate because the buildings are connected.

Dubuque Fire Chief Dan Brown said the fire was contained to the one room. ``All of the contents of the room were consumed,'' Brown said. ``Nothing was salvageable.''

Smoke and heat damage were reported throughout the second, third and fourth floors of the Vianney House. And the lower levels suffered water damage after water lines broke as a result of the heat, Brown said.

With fire doors separating the house from the Archdiocesan Center, only minor smoke damage was reported down the hall, Brown said.

One priest said a burning candle was apparently the cause of the fire. But fire officials said the cause was still being investigated.

Information from: Telegraph Herald

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