Just after midnight on Sunday, July 23, a house fire was reported in the 1100 block of Bethel Circle, in southern Saline County. The male and female occupants, both 68-years-old, escaped through an upstairs bedroom window, but found themselves trapped on the roof before help could arrive.
Fortunately, a Saline County Sheriff Deputy arrived on the scene. Upon arrival, he discovered the couple on the roof, waving a flashlight for help.
As Rural Fire District #2 had not yet arrived, the deputy was able to retrieve a ladder from the attached garage, but it was too short to reach the couple on the roof. He used his patrol SUV to push a disabled pickup truck under the eave of the house. Placing the ladder in the back of the truck, he climbed up to the couple to get them off the roof.
The couple was transported to SRHC for treatment of smoke inhalation. While the husband was later released, his wife required further medical attention and was transferred to Via Cristi in Wichita.
Tragically, the family also suffered a devastating loss of their beloved pets, including 5 dogs, 5 cats, and a chinchilla, due to the fire. The damage to the property is estimated at a staggering $200,000.
The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, but reports indicate that a power outage from a thunderstorm just hours before was affecting the area at the time of the incident. Evergy was on-site nearby, working to restore power.
