Spencer, IA (Northwest Iowa Now) — Spencer Firefighters were called to a house fire Friday morning located at 101 DeLoss Court in Spencer.

When firefighters arrived on scene at 9:30am – there were visible flames and smoke coming from the home – with a report of a child still inside. Firefighters placed two attack lines in service to knock down the fire. Once able to gain entry inside, an aggressive search was initiated, and the 4-year-old boy was located. Due to the intensity of the fire and smoke, rescue attempts prior to the firefighters arrival were unsuccessful.

The boy was taken to Spencer Hospital by ambulance – then life-flighted to Gillette Children’s Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota where he is listed in Critical Condition.

The home suffered extreme fire and smoke damage throughout. The residence next door to the east suffered fire damage to the garage and smoke damage throughout the interior.

After a joint investigation, it was determined the fire started in the living room. But due to the level of damage, the cause of the fire is undetermined.

Assisting the Spencer Fire Department was the Spencer Police Department, Clay County Sheriff, Iowa State Patrol, Spencer Hospital Paramedics, Black Hills Energy and Spencer Municipal Utilities.