Firefighters and investigators into Saturday night’s house fire in Olpe didn’t have much down time, and they are back at it already Monday morning.
Fire at 730 Kansas Highway 99 was reported around 6:30 pm Saturday, triggering a rapid response from Olpe, Emporia, Lyon County Rural and Hartford-Neosho Rapids firefighters and Lyon County deputies. They then spent over 20 straight hours on scene as part of the firefighting and investigating efforts, according to Olpe Fire Chief Wade Schmidt.
They were then sent back to the house after a rekindle was reported around 6:30 am Monday. Schmidt says the fire redeveloped in a “small trouble spot” in a second-floor bathroom and was quickly put out.
Parts of walls are left standing, but the rest of the house and all contents inside were destroyed.
How this impacts the ongoing investigation, now led by the Kansas State Fire Marshal, remains to be seen. Any updates on the fire will come from the state level.
According to Lyon County records, the home is owned by Suzan Stroup-Reed. Nobody was home at the time of the fire, but it has not been confirmed if anyone was living in the residence as it was on the market at the time of the fire. The Zillow listing the price for the four-bed, four-bath, over 3,000-square-foot home was at $675,500. The home had been owned by late Olpe Chicken House owners Leonard and Theresa Coble.
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for further information as it becomes available.
*Click here for Sunday’s update.
*Click here for Saturday’s initial coverage.
*Click here for KVOE’s YouTube channel, including several videos from Saturday night’s firefighting effort and a YouTube Short from Sunday’s investigation work.
