Several Osawatomie firefighters battle the remnants of a blaze that destroyed a home at 925 Brown Ave. last Wednesday morning, while another checks a neighboring house for signs of flare-ups. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. (Photo by Dustin Kass / dustinkass@miconews.com)
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Blaze Preempts Demolition Crew
Abandoned Brown Ave. Home Was Slated For Demolition Monday; Neighboring House Also Damaged In Blaze
By Dustin Kass, dustinKass@miconews.com
Crews were scheduled to demolish the home at 925 Brown Ave. last Monday.
A raging fire July 16 did most of the work for them.
Osawatomie firefighters were dispatched to the home just before 7:30 a.m. July 16, at which time they also found the house next door at 929 Brown Ave. on fire. The blaze decimated the home at 925 Brown, owned by Iris Bailey, turning the structure largely into burnt rubble with only a portion of the chimney still standing by 8:10 a.m.
The fire also heavily damaged the upstairs of the neighboring home, owned by Michael and Misty Young. Firefighters continued battling flare-ups at the Youngs’ home through most of the morning. Fire Chief Ted Bartlett called the damage to the Young’s home “substantial,” but he said he thought it was still structurally sound.
No injuries were reported in connection with the fire.
It marked the second time firefighters have battled a blaze at the home in as many months.
A fire June 6 roared through the house owned by Bailey, which fire officials said had been unoccupied for some time. Bartlett called the structure a total loss at that time. That blaze also damaged the Youngs’ home, as heat from the fire melted the siding off the nearest wall. A state fire marshal was unable to determine the cause or origin of that fire, Bartlett said in June.
The Youngs were still fixing damage from that incident when they faced a similar situation last week. Michael Young said he was outside around 7 a.m. July 16 putting up new siding up on his home to replace the portions melted by the June fire when he saw smoke coming from Bailey’s house. He said he loaded up his two children, 5-year-old Gavin and 3-year-old Lilly, and was driving to City Hall to report the smoke when a police squad car passed him, lights flashing, heading toward his home. He reported that both houses were in flames by the time he returned home.
Young also said he had called City Manager Bret Glendening about the home several times in recent weeks, urging that the abandoned house be torn down. Glendening confirmed the conversations, but he said Bailey had been working with the city on the issue and that the home was scheduled for demolition last Monday.
The cause and origin of the most recent fire is still under investigation, Bartlett said. Glendening said neither electricity nor gas service had been reconnected to Bailey’s house since the June fire.
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A raging fire July 16 did most of the work for them.
Osawatomie firefighters were dispatched to the home just before 7:30 a.m. July 16, at which time they also found the house next door at 929 Brown Ave. on fire. The blaze decimated the home at 925 Brown, owned by Iris Bailey, turning the structure largely into burnt rubble with only a portion of the chimney still standing by 8:10 a.m.
The fire also heavily damaged the upstairs of the neighboring home, owned by Michael and Misty Young. Firefighters continued battling flare-ups at the Youngs’ home through most of the morning. Fire Chief Ted Bartlett called the damage to the Young’s home “substantial,” but he said he thought it was still structurally sound.
No injuries were reported in connection with the fire.
It marked the second time firefighters have battled a blaze at the home in as many months.
A fire June 6 roared through the house owned by Bailey, which fire officials said had been unoccupied for some time. Bartlett called the structure a total loss at that time. That blaze also damaged the Youngs’ home, as heat from the fire melted the siding off the nearest wall. A state fire marshal was unable to determine the cause or origin of that fire, Bartlett said in June.
The Youngs were still fixing damage from that incident when they faced a similar situation last week. Michael Young said he was outside around 7 a.m. July 16 putting up new siding up on his home to replace the portions melted by the June fire when he saw smoke coming from Bailey’s house. He said he loaded up his two children, 5-year-old Gavin and 3-year-old Lilly, and was driving to City Hall to report the smoke when a police squad car passed him, lights flashing, heading toward his home. He reported that both houses were in flames by the time he returned home.
Young also said he had called City Manager Bret Glendening about the home several times in recent weeks, urging that the abandoned house be torn down. Glendening confirmed the conversations, but he said Bailey had been working with the city on the issue and that the home was scheduled for demolition last Monday.
The cause and origin of the most recent fire is still under investigation, Bartlett said. Glendening said neither electricity nor gas service had been reconnected to Bailey’s house since the June fire.