DUBUQUE, Iowa — November 7, 2026 — A fire at a 30-unit apartment complex on West 17th Street on Friday evening displaced the residents of 20 units and sent two people and a firefighter to the hospital with minor injuries, according to the Dubuque Fire Department.

The fire department was dispatched at 6:17 p.m. on Friday, November 7, 2026, to 280 West 17th Street, a three-story, 30-unit residential building. The initial response included three engines, two trucks, two ambulances, and a shift commander, with 19 personnel responding.

Engine Company 1 arrived at 6:20 p.m., three minutes after dispatch, and reported heavy fire coming from a first-floor unit. The incident commander upgraded the alarm, calling for two additional engines and another ambulance and bringing the total response to 26 personnel.

Crews began attacking the fire and had water on it at 6:21 p.m., one minute after the first engine arrived. Firefighters removed two occupants from the building using ladders and helped numerous other residents get out. Other crews secured a water supply, searched the building a second time, set up backup hose lines, ventilated the structure, and forced entry into several areas to support the fire attack and the removal of occupants.

The fire was knocked down and declared under control at 6:27 p.m., 10 minutes after dispatch. Crews stayed on scene for salvage and overhaul work, hunting for hot spots and helping residents.

Two residents with minor injuries were taken to the hospital by department ambulances. One firefighter also sustained a minor injury.

The Dubuque Police Department helped coordinate the evacuation of occupants from adjoining units, and the Farley Fire Department provided air bottle filling support. Alliant Energy and Black Hills Energy assisted with controlling electric and gas service to the building.

Occupants of 20 units across two sections of the complex were displaced. The American Red Cross provided sheltering assistance, while other displaced residents stayed with family or friends. Police also secured a cat and arranged shelter for it at the Dubuque Humane Society, reunited approximately six to ten dogs with their owners, and removed a dog from a balcony after the fire was under control.

The building owner, manager, and maintenance personnel were notified and secured the building after emergency operations ended.

The Dubuque Fire Department is investigating the cause of the fire, which remains undetermined. Damage is estimated at $580,000. The building’s total value is $4,451,000, with an estimated $3,871,000 in property saved.