Fire severely damages home
Emergency crews were sent to a two-story home early Sunday morning in the 1100 block of E. 1300 Road. Enlarge video
Nobody was injured in an early-morning fire that severely damaged a rural Douglas County home.
Capt. Michael Grob with the Wakarusa Fire Department said that the family of three, along with their pets, made it out of the residence unharmed on Sunday morning.
Emergency crews were dispatched to the fire at 1:52 a.m. Crews from multiple fire departments, including Wakarusa, Willow Springs, Lecompton, Eudora, Lawrence and others, battled the flames at 1152 E. 1300 Road.
"The crews got in there pretty quick," Grob said. "It took a lot of crews and multiple agencies. They worked well together and did a good job."
Grob said the family declined housing assistance from emergency officials.
By 2 a.m., the fire had spread to the roof of the house. Flames and plumes of smoke were seen shooting out front windows of the large two-story home, which is located about 1 1/2 miles south of 31st Street on U.S. Highway 59.
The heaviest flames were located on the second floor of the building, which Grob said was "pretty heavily damaged." The first floor wasn't damaged by the fire, he said.
The roof fire appeared to be extinguished by about 2:20 a.m., but fire crews continued to battle flames, heat and smoke until well after 4 a.m.
Grob said the family was able to get many valuables out of the house. The family met with an insurance agent Sunday morning, but a damage estimate was not available. It could take the state fire marshal up to a month to identify the cause of the fire, according to Grob.
Comments
Kookamooka 4 years, 4 months ago
With the housing crisis the way it is, I wouldn't rule out arson. There seems to be an increase in house fires recently. There is a big home out that way that has been on the market for years and since there was no report of people in the house, or interviews, I'm guessing it was an empty house.
srj 4 years, 4 months ago
Don't forget it's very dry and windy, so don't rule out grass fire.
grammaddy 4 years, 4 months ago
Is everyone suspect, now?
redmoonrising 4 years, 4 months ago
Guess so grammady.
babyboycat 4 years, 4 months ago
Kookamooka.....your comment was uncalled for
Kookamooka 4 years, 4 months ago
P.S. I read the article early this morning before additional details had been published. At that point, they made no mention of people in the house which led me to suspect that it was empty.
somebodynew 4 years, 4 months ago
Well, kookamooka, I can see how that happens (did to me before).My question is - where are all the expressions of sympathy and sorrow????? This is a family that sounds like they just lost most, if not all, of what they own (reason for no interviews) and no one on here is giving any support or offers to help.I know people on here can be heartless, but normally there are a few posters with some feelings.Oh well - - To the family - Try to hang in there, I know this has to be painful, and I wish I could do something to help.
grammaddy 4 years, 4 months ago
Having endured a house fire that nearly took the life of my youngest child, I feel tremendous empathy and compassion for this family. I let the idiot with the arson remark set me off.To the family involved. Take whatever the red cross and salvation army will give you. They were immensely helpful to me. You are in my prayers.
Pywacket 4 years, 4 months ago
Christ, Kookamooka! (Got that first syllable right.) Do you have any idea how traumatic and devastating it is for people to lose their home to fire? All their family heirlooms and cherished photos (some of family members who have passed on) gone forever? Every sweet handmade thing the children ever made--gone. And here you are, while the smoke is still rising from the ruins, suggesting that they might have torched their own home for money.You didn't know whether the house was occupied or not? Seriously, dude, is that the best you can offer as an excuse for being utterly insensitive and jumping the gun? If you didn't know, why didn't you wait until you had learned more facts? You should be ashamed.To the family~ I am so sorry for your loss. A good friend of mine lost her home to fire a few years ago and it was heartbreaking. The mourning she went through was complex and long lasting--and she still tears up when she thinks of some precious keepsake of her grandma's, love letters, rare books, or all her children's photos and childish drawings that are gone forever. Friends spent untold hours with her, for weeks after the fire, raking through the devastation to find any little scrap or item that had survived--and she lovingly scrubbed and restored those remnants of her former life and cherishes each scorched photo or dish or book. It was just heartbreaking to be involved in the aftermath of such a life-changing event. So very little was saved. I hope you are more fortunate in that regard.It will get better, but it will take a long time. Like my friend, you were fortunate to experience no loss of human life--and that is what will sustain you the most over the coming weeks and months. I hope you have a good circle of friends and family who will help you get through this. Know that many of us will be thinking of you and wondering if we can be of any help.
grammaddy 4 years, 4 months ago
Great post, Pywacket!!
kansas_o_kansas 4 years, 4 months ago
Thank you Pywacket. It's not often you see a post ring with so much "heart."
miniflavors 4 years, 4 months ago
Pywacket that was well put.... Nice job...and I think we can all thank you for that posting. I feel the same way.This is a nice and loving family....and I can tell you when they read the statment of the KOOK...................They were wondering what kind of NUTSSsss would write something like that......Well they have each other and friend and family... and people like some on here that are comforting at this time...Thanks for all on here who cared ......
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