Flue fire causes significant damage to rural Tonganoxie home

? A flue fire destroyed a rural Tonganoxie home Wednesday night.

According to Leavenworth County Sheriff’s report, the fire, which started about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, started in the chimney of a wood-burning furnace in the basement of a home at 25171 DeHoff Dr., about four miles southwest of Tonganoxie. The fire then spread to the attic and the roof.

Firefighters worked for roughly four hours before they were able to bring the blaze under control and then fought flare-ups for another hour after that.

Steve L. Smith owned the home, reports said, and three members of the Smith family escaped the home before firefighters arrived. No one was injured.

According to Lt. Darren Shepherd with the Reno Township Fire Department, the fire “basically burned it off,” referring to the house’s roof. The house, a one-story structure with a walk-out basement, also sustained water damage, Shepherd said.

Reno, Stranger, Sherman and Sarcoxie township fire departments, as well as Tonganoxie and Lawrence city fire departments, responded to the fire call.