Volunteer firefighters battled bitterly cold temperatures in a pair of fires over the weekend.
The first call came in shortly after noon Friday, when Humboldt firefighters were called to the home of Sandy Butler in the 900 block of North Eighth Street.
Butler was out of town when the fire started, Humboldt Fire Chief Sean McReynolds said.
While the cause remains undetermined, McReynolds said the fire started at the rear of the house.
Fire crews were at the scene within 5 minutes of the call — a quick turnaround for a volunteer department — but several factors were against them as they battled the blaze.
The house’s composition, with several layers of materials in both the roof and the walls, meant extinguishing the fire was next to impossible.
“We aggressively attacked the fire from inside and outside,” McReynolds said. “But due to the style of the structure, and the extreme cold, we had to shift to a defensive-only posture and contain it until we had better access.”
Assisting with the efforts were Humboldt police officers. An ambulance from Iola Fire Department also was on scene, while the LaHarpe Volunteer Fire Department brought its support vehicle to provide an occasional respite for firefighters on the scene. McReynolds also credited Humboldt city utility employees and workers from Evergy for their help.
“The firefighters did an amazing job with the conditions present,” McReynolds said. “They put in six hours in the cold and another two hours getting things put away so we could be ready to go again.”
The scene was cleared at about 6 p.m.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to benefit Butler, who lost everything in the blaze.
McReynolds said Butler also several pets.
THE SCENE shifted to rural Savonburg at midday Sunday, when a camper burned.
Deputy Daren Kellerman said Tosha Daugherty was preparing a pie for Christmas dinner, and had set a pan on the oven and exited the RV, only to return seconds later to find the oven engulfed in flames.
Daugherty’s attempt to knock down the flames were futile, and she fled the camper as the fire quickly spread.
Gas inside the camper caused a small explosion, alerting neighbors to the blaze.
Volunteers with the Elsmore-Savonburg Fire Department were summoned. Most were home for Christmas Day activities, and thus were able to respond quickly, Kellerman noted, but there was little they could do.
A nearby fifth-wheel camper also burned, and another vehicle sustained damage.
