CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) - Two firefighters were seriously injured Sunday when a hose line failed while they were battling a blaze at a Cedar Rapids apartment complex.
The Cedar Rapids Fire Department said one firefighter was struck in the head and knocked unconscious and another was struck in the chest and knocked down when the hose line failed around 1:30 a.m. Sunday. Neither injury was believed to be life-threatening.
Firefighters were called to the eight-unit apartment building around 1:15 a.m. Sunday after smoke alarms were activated inside the building. It took more than an hour to bring the blaze under control as firefighters dealt with frigid temperatures, and they remained on scene Sunday morning to deal with lingering hot spots.
Firefighters dealt with frozen equipment and extreme wind chills because of the cold weather overnight.
No apartment residents were injured even though five of the units were occupied at the time of the fire.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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