A tragic incident occurred in Derby, Kansas, as a fire engulfed a duplex, resulting in the loss of one life.
The incident at 711 East Meadowlark Place occurred at approximately 10:50 p.m. on Wednesday night, as confirmed by Sedgwick County Dispatch.
According to Derby Fire Chief John Turner, a neighbor happened to be passing by the duplex when they noticed flames emanating from the back window.
Upon the arrival of the fire crews, the visibility inside the building was extremely limited. Despite the challenging conditions, the responders managed to navigate their way to the back rooms where they discovered an elderly man in his 70s, whose identity remains undisclosed, lying in his bed. Tragically, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Furthermore, the fire claimed the life of a cat as well.
Approximately $100,000 worth of damage was reported, but fortunately, the other resident of the home was not present during the incident and has been confirmed as safe.
Sedgwick County and Mulvane crews also arrived at the scene.