A house fire east of Osawatomie damaged a basement and took the life of a pet cat on Christmas day, but all six occupants escaped without serious injuries. The call came in just after noon on Christmas day. The Osawatomie Fire Department was the lead agency on the call. Osawatomie Deputy Chief Lance Kerr arrived on scene closely followed by Chief Aaron Sharp and an engine. Sharp says there was zero visibility in the basement due to the heavy smoke, but crews worked quickly to confine the fire, in large part, to the basement. Two adults and four juveniles safely escaped the home, but Sharp says one adult was treated on the scene by EMS personnel.
The family had multiple pets. Sharp said all the dogs got out, but one cat did not survive. Firefighters also rescued three kittens that suffered some smoke inhalation but recovered. He says the cause of the fire is officially undetermined, but it appears to have been electrical in nature as space heaters were being used inside the residence. The total damage estimate is about $50,000.
