On Thursday, January 18, 2018 at 1:54 p.m. the Epworth Fire Department was notified by the Dubuque County 911 Center of a residential structure fire located at 23869 Old Highway Road, Epworth. Upon arrival, firefighters found a two story house with heavy smoke throughout the building and fire in the basement extending to the first floor. The house is occupied by Ken and Tammy Burds who live in the house with their four children. Mutual aid assistance was provided by the Farley Fire Department for a tanker and the Mobile Breathing Air Compressor Trailer. 18 firefighters responded and remained on the scene for over three hours. The basement received heavy fire damage and there was smoke and heat damage throughout the entire home. Damage is estimated $90,000. The Epworth Fire Department was also assisted at the scene by the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office and Alliant Energy. The fire started in the basement and the cause of the fire is not known, but is not suspicious in nature. No one was home at the time of the fire and one of the occupants discovered the fire after returning from school. The American Red Cross of NE Iowa was notified to assist the family.