'I'm so proud of the place': Iowa Falls community together after fire at Ellsworth dorm

Andrea May Sahouri
The Des Moines Register

Ellsworth Community College has had quite the start of the school year.

A fire was reported in Thompson Hall, an all-male dorm at ECC in Iowa Falls, on Wednesday afternoon, forcing 150 students to evacuate the building. Two students were sent to the hospital with non-serious injuries from smoke inhalation and were released the same day.

Iowa Falls Fire Chief Scott Eisentrager said the fire was caused by an electric shortage of an outlet that sparked near mattresses and caught on fire. 

Donations collected at Ellsworth Community College after fire

"The fire was not big, mainly smoke confined to one room, but there is smoke damage in the entire building. Right now, the dorm is unoccupiable," Eisentrager said. 

The building wont be ready for students to move back in for at least two weeks.

Hotel rooms at AmericInn and Super 8 in Iowa Falls have been booked Wednesday and Thursday night for Thompson Hall residents, said Dr. Kristie Fisher, chancellor of the Iowa Valley Community College District. Local hotels do not have enough rooms available during the Labor Day holiday weekend, so Hardin County Emergency Management is setting up cots and privacy curtains in the campus gym.

The cost estimate to reverse the damages is still unclear, although Fisher anticipates a hefty bill.

"We're finding out that smoke does a tremendous amount of damage and it takes a lot of time to clear," Fisher said. The cost to relocate the students for the time being is another significant cost. 

Nevertheless, Fisher wants the weekend to remain a fun time for students who are staying on campus during the holiday. So far, movies at the local theater are being set up along with X-Boxes and other gaming systems.The library will also remain open during the weekend.

It's been a stressful time for students at ECC, but the Iowa Falls community has stepped up. Fisher, who only has two months under her belt as chancellor, says she is "blown away" by the help of the police department, fire department, and community of Iowa Falls. 

Donations collected at Ellsworth Community College after fire

Students are checking up on each other. Teachers have been making sure mental health counselors are accessible. Marshalltown Community College, about an hour's drive away, is making sure ECC students are being fed. And next to the campus library, the community has been donating clothes, utilities, food, and even checks to the Ellsworth College Foundation.

"It's the best of what Iowa is; it's people helping each other and working hard. I'm so proud of the place," Fisher said, smiling. "You never want something like this to happen, but if it's going to happen, you want it to happen in a community like this."

Andrea May Sahouri covers public safety for the Des Moines Register. She can be contacted at asahouri@registermedia.com, 515-284-8247 or on Twitter at @andreamsahouri