UPDATE:
The damage estimate from a fire at 128 West Chestnut Street on Friday has been put at $110,000 by the Junction City Fire Department. Breaking that down there was $30,000 damage to a house, $40,000 to an attached garage, $10,000 to nearby structures and $30,000 to a motorcycle and multiple vehicles.
The two-story house with a basement had been converted into two apartments. Fire Chief Terry Johnson reported that there was lot of smoke and a small amount of fire in the house, mostly in the kitchen area.
The occupants of 128 West Chestnut residential units and adjacent houses were able to evacuate. Electricity had to be shut off to the entire block by Westar Energy.
The garage and two sheds were a total loss. Johnson said a Junction City Fire Department investigator has been asked to perform a fire cause and origin investigation. No one was hurt in the blaze.
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Junction City fire trucks rolled to 128 West Chestnut for a residential fire Friday morning. There were no injuries.
Fire Chief Terry Johnson reported that when firefighters arrived there was a large garage area behind the house that was “fully involved. The engine companies came in through the alley, we started our fire attack. It was delayed because we had power lines down and they were arcing all over the place.”
The JCPD dispatch confirmed the fire call was received at 9:48 a.m. Johnson said at mid-morning firefighters were digging through rubble and searching for hot spots. “Seeing that it’s a several addition type garage we’re finding multiple different types of construction. It’s a little challenging but the guys are knocking it out.”
Johnson stated law enforcement authorities assisted in evacuating the residents from three nearby houses. There was extensive damage to the house, the garage was destroyed, and “there were two vehicles in the back. Both of those were pretty much gone.
The cause of the fire, and the identity of the residents and owner are not yet known. There was some vinyl siding damage caused by heat to a an adjacent house just east of the structure where the fire occurred.
The fire chief said there were a lot of things “popping off. When you have a garage you have a lot of things in there…aerosal cans, gas cans.” While he was unsure what items may have been involved, Johnson added they would probably be paint cans and things normally kept in a garage.
Saturday, September 16 is the day for Star Spangled Saturday: Family, Fun and the Big Red One at the Flint Hills Discovery Center in Manhattan. This is billed as a family-friendly, hands-on event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
