Ark Valley News - Fire heavily damages Bel Aire home

A house fire at 5622 E. 48th Circle North in Bel Aire July 5 causes extensive damage. All occupants were able to escape safely and there were no injuries.

Fire heavily damages Bel Aire home
By David Dinell
Last Updated: July 09, 2015

An early morning fire on July 5 caused extensive damage to a house in the 5600 block of East 48th Circle North in Bel Aire. The seven occupants were able to escape the blaze, which destroyed the garage and the majority of the roof.

Units from the Sedgwick County Fire Department, which provide fire services for Bel Aire, responded to the 1:25 a.m. fire and were on the scene for several hours.

The cause of the fire is still undetermined, said Craig Leu, deputy fire marshal for Sedgwick County Fire District 1, which includes Bel Aire. The cause may or may not include fireworks. The fire was reported just hours after the legal period for them to be shot off.

"We haven't ruled out anything; we're still investigating," said Leu, who was at the scene during the blaze.

One thing is certain: the damage is extensive. The house is valued at between $170,000 and $180,000 and with its ruined contents, the damage is around $250,000, he said.

"The true loss isn't known until after the insurance company is done, and that could take a year," he said. "We take a shot at it based on what we know."

Leu added that contents are difficult for department investigators to gauge, which is why they leave the final tally to insurance officials.

A photo taken shortly after the blaze began showed large flames leaping from the roof into the night sky.

"It was terrible," said Bel Aire Police Chief Darrell Atteberry.

He wasn't at the scene during the fire, but paid it a follow-up visit to view the damage. No other houses were damaged during the blaze.

After the police department got the call, several officers responded to provide traffic control and security.

"When the officers got there, it was fully engulfed in flames," Atteberry said.

One of the officers contacted the homeowner and she said everyone got out OK.

"The lady woke up and heard a noise and then saw the fire and then got everyone out of the house," he said.

The police stayed until all fire units left.

Due to the intense nature of the blaze and its proximity to other structures, about a dozen units responded, including some from the Wichita Fire Department under a mutual aid agreement. Units were on the scene from the start until 5 a.m., which Leu said was a typical timeframe for a house fire.

If there's anything positive about the fire, it's that there were no injuries and the residents did what they needed to do, he said.

"The key to it was the family got everyone out quickly," he said. "That's what we preach to everyone. If your house is on fire, get out. They did exactly right and called the fire department. That's the take-away we like to see because there's nothing in a house worth your life."

Atteberry also was grateful for the lack of injuries and said he was impressed with the way neighbors awoke and took action to ensure that others were safe.

"You're not going to find that in all neighborhoods," he said. "They were going door-to-door making sure their neighbors didn't have fires on their roofs because there were embers blowing around. They really look out for each other that way, which is wonderful."