OTTAWA — A 53-year-old Ottawa man has been booked into the Franklin County jail in connection with a fire that severely damaged a house in the 400 block of West First Street Sunday evening. Wayland Kirkland Jr. was booked on suspicion of arson, disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property. The fire was discovered by an on-duty firefighter who saw a large column of smoke and went to investigate, Ottawa Fire Chief Jeff Carner said. When he arrived, he observed a large amount of fire coming from the front and side of the home and estimated approximately half of the home was on fire. Carner said the cause of the fire remains under investigation and the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s office was asked to bring their arson-detection dog to the scene. The house was heavily damaged but Carner said there’s no immediate estimate of the damage. The occupant of the home was present at the time of the fire but wasn’t injured However, witnesses saw the resident of the house taken from the scene by Ottawa police.
Monday, Aug. 10, 4 p.m.
