Two Osawatomie firefighters recently suffered minor injuries when a firefighter fell through a floor while battling a house fire near Fontana. Firefighters from Osawatomie, Fontana, Paola and Louisburg were dispatched to a house fire at 38519 Hedge Lane near Fontana, the afternoon of April 10. An engine from Fontana arrived on scene at 4:05 p.m., and firefighters saw smoke showing from the structure. The fire was in the basement, as well as a first-floor bedroom.
Miami County Emergency Management Coordinator Mark Whelan said several pets died in the fire, saying the fire started in the basement and smoldered for some time before being discovered by a child returning home from school.
An investigator from the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s office responded to the scene, and the cause of the fire appears to be electrical in origin.
Damage to the structure and contents is estimated to be $400,000.
