Fire destroys pipe organ making business in western Iowa

LAKE CITY, Iowa (AP) — Fire has destroyed a western Iowa business that made pipe organs for churches, schools and customers from around the world. Officials say the fire at Dobson Pipe Organ Builders in Lake City was reported around 4 p.m. Tuesday. Firefighters found the building engulfed in flames that caused its exterior walls to collapse. Officials said one employee of the company was burned when he tried to put out the flames. The State Fire Marshal’s Office says it believes the fire was started by a malfunctioning fan that caused sawdust to ignite. Dobson Pipe Organ Builders’ website says it was founded in 1974 by Lynn Dobson, a Carroll, Iowa, native who attended Wayne State College in Nebraska.