Fire that destroyed house started in sofa

A Sunday morning fire that heavily damaged a Lawrence house started in a sofa on the front porch, fire investigators said Monday.

A specific cause for the fire at 1129 Vt. wasn’t determined, but it was believed to have been caused by either smoking materials or holiday lights, according to a statement issued by Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical on Monday.

Damage to the three-story residence, which displaced seven Kansas University students, was estimated at $223,000. No one was injured by the fire.

The fire broke out shortly before 3 a.m. Sunday and burned fiercely enough to prompt evacuations of neighboring homes before it was brought under control around 6 a.m.

Neighbors said only three of the home’s residents were in the building when the fire broke out.

The students were being assisted by the Douglas County Chapter of the American Red Cross and the KU Office of Student Success.

“They are doing about as well as can be expected,” Red Cross director Jane Blocher said.

In a news release, Fire & Medical Chief Mark Bradford said that people should be especially cautious this time of year with holiday lights and candles.

Candles are one of the more common holiday decorations and also one of the most dangerous, Bradford said.

Candles should be placed away from curtains and flammable decorations and they should be blown out when residents go to bed, Bradford said.

Here are some other tips from the fire department:

¢ Christmas trees should be kept away from fireplaces and radiators. With live trees, the tree stand should be filled with water.

¢ If you are putting up lights outside, use only lights that have been tested for outside use. Check the labels.

¢ Use no more than three standard-size sets of lights per single extension cord.

¢ Turn off holiday lights when you go to bed.

¢ Outdoor lights should be plugged into circuits protected by ground fault circuit interrupters.