OTTUMWA — Firefighters had to contend with two fires on the evening of Tuesday, February 27, 2024. The first fire was just after 8:00 p.m. for a large area fire near Gray Eagle Wildlife Reserve, close to where a grass fire occurred on Friday, February 23. With the help of the Wapello Rural Fire Department, the fire was contained around 11:00 p.m. The wind and cold made this a difficult fire to fight, with smaller hoses starting to freeze by the end. As the Ottumwa Fire Department was cleaning equipment and reloading trucks, an alarm for a structure fire came in around 11:30 p.m. The structure fire was at 302 Tindell Street. All residents in the home made it safely out of the fire. The home was no longer able to be lived in and Red Cross was contacted to assist with housing. This fire was fought until about 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday, February 28. This house fire is still under investigation.