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Fire sends two to hospital, destroys house Monday

By Staff | Nov 13, 2012

Firefighters battled two house fires Monday between Tonganoxie and McLouth, one of which sent two residents to a local hospital and left the home as a total loss.

Firefighters were called about 4:20 a.m. Monday to a home in the 19800 block of Kansas Highway 16 in Jefferson County, McLouth City Fire Chief Carl Chalfant said.

Chalfant said firefighters arrived less than 10 minutes after the call and the two-story home was fully engulfed.

He said two people were at the home when the fire broke out and were taken by ambulance to Lawrence Memorial Hospital and then Kansas University Hospital for smoke inhalation.

The fire chief said the cause of the fire still is undetermined, but he said the fire was thought to have started in the basement room where a hot water heater, furnace and electric breaker box were located.

Tonganoxie Township Fire Department from Leavenworth County, as well as Sarcoxie Township Fire Department Oskaloosa and Winchester city fire departments from Jefferson County assisted at the scene.

Tonganoxie Township also responded to a house fire about 8:15 a.m. in the 21500 block of 235th Street about 3 miles northwest of Tonganoxie in Leavenworth County.

Tonganoxie Township Fire Chief Tim Smith said cigarette ashes in a trash can were thought to be what started the fire. Firefighters contained the fire in the kitchen, though there was smoke damage throughout the one-story house, he said.

No one was at the home when the fire started, Smith said.

Stranger, Fairmount and Alexandria township fire departments, all Leavenworth County agencies, also assisted, Smith said.