Cedar Rapids fires injure three residents including balcony rescue

Two Cedar Rapids apartment fires on Wednesday left residents needing medical care, and several units were displaced. In the morning fire at Vista Ridge Apartments, firefighters rescued an adult and a child from a second-floor balcony; both were hospitalized with potentially serious injuries. That fire was brought under control in about half an hour, and its cause is under investigation. In the afternoon, a separate fire on 31st Street NE prompted the department’s third fire response of the day; one person received medical attention at the scene, and crews quickly controlled the flames. The afternoon fire’s cause also remains under investigation.