DODGE CITY -- A woman and a small child were killed Thursday morning in a fire that quickly engulfed a Dodge City home, but four others were able to escape the blaze.
Firefighters responded shortly after 11 a.m. Thursday after a passer-by spotted the fire at 1715 N. Second Ave. and called 911, according to Dodge City Fire Chief Kevin Norton.
"It was an adult female, about 52 years old, and a 2-year-old male who perished in the fire," he said. "I believe it was a grandmother and grandchild."
The single-family home was fully engulfed when firefighters from Dodge City and Ford County arrived shortly after being dispatched, Norton said.
"It was an accidental fire that originated in the living room," he said.
Norton couldn't comment further on how the fire started, noting an investigation continues.
The house is a total loss and "will have to come down," he said. It took firefighters about 30 minutes to put out the blaze.
The victims' names have not yet been released.
According to Norton, there were no smoke detectors in the home.
He believes the fire surprised the family. Neighbors reported that those who escaped the fire tried to go back inside to help the woman and child but were unable to, according to the Dodge City Globe. The survivors were treated for smoke inhalation.
Copyright 2012 - The Hutchinson News, Kan.
