The Pella Fire Department was called to assist the Oskaloosa Fire Department early this morning in battling a fire at a multiple story residence in Oskaloosa.

Pella Fire Captain Randy Bogaard tells KNIA/KRLS News the Oskaloosa Fire Department was having difficulty fighting the blaze from below, so requested that the Pella aerial truck be dispatched. Bogaard says that when the Pella Fire Department arrived on scene, the Oskaloosa Fire Department and other agencies assisting were in defensive mode, protecting surrounding houses. He says the aerial truck was able to help extinguish the fire relatively quickly. They were dispatched at 2:20 a.m., and were home by 5:30 this morning. Bogaard says the residence was empty and that it was a total loss. The cause of the fire has not been identified.