A fire at the Karl and Virgina Harmony home, 3106 26th St., did extensive damage Tuesday afternoon, Great Bend Fire Chief Mike Napolitano said. Virginia Harmony was the only one home at the time and got out safely.
She was inside the house and heard popping and crackling and opened the door to the attached garage, where she discovered the fire shortly before calling 911 at 4:52 p.m.
Firefighters found heavy smoke coming from the garage, with fire showing through the door and windows, Napolitano said. “The crews make an aggressive attack on the garage fire.” They had it under control fairly quickly, which kept it from spreading throughout the house. There was fire damage in the kitchen and hallway, and extensive heat and smoke damage throughout the house, however.
A 2013 Chevrolet Captiva in the garage was destroyed. The estimated loss is in excess of $120,000 for structural damage and $50,000 for the contents.
The cause of the fire was ruled accidental. “We believe it was electrical in nature,” Napolitano said.