A fire destroyed a home west of Paola in the early morning hours yesterday,February 15th, but there were no major injuries reported. Paola Fire Chief, Andy Martin says the call came in at 5:06 yesterday morning and by the time fire firefighters arrived at the rural Miami County home at 30585 Osawatomie Road, it was completely engulfed in flames. Martin says the firefighters took a defensive approach because they learned that all four occupants of the home had already safely evacuated.
It took the firefighters about two hours to get the fire under control. Martin says the fire appears to have originated in the garage area, and it could have been related to electrical space heaters or stove piping. Miami County Emergency Management Coordinator, Mark Whelan says the cause of the fire is currently under investigation, but it appears to be accidental. Martin says the home was a total loss, and Red Cross was on the scene to assist the occupants.
