MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
Firefighters from the South Hutchinson Fire Department, assisted by the Hutchinson Fire Department and Reno County Fire District 1, battled a house fire Monday evening in the 100 block of West Avenue D.
The fire was reported at approximately 7:56 p.m., according to South Hutchinson Fire Chief Greg Henke.
The blaze affected two structures, and the cause remains under investigation. Henke said investigators with the Reno County Sheriff's Office conducted an initial walkthrough of the scene while awaiting the arrival of the Kansas State Fire Marshal's Office, which will determine the fire's origin and cause.
"We do not know which house it started in," Henke said. "The State Fire Marshal is en route to do the investigation. We also have the sheriff's department investigator walking through it now, and then they'll confer and work on where it started and what caused it."
No civilians were injured in the fire. However, one South Hutchinson firefighter was transported for treatment of a heat-related illness sustained while battling the blaze.
Henke said the warm, humid conditions made the operation especially demanding, requiring crews to carefully monitor firefighters' health and rotate personnel frequently.
Firefighters typically work through one air bottle—about 30 minutes—before being relieved. During periods of extreme heat, Henke said departments rely on a rehabilitation process where crews are evaluated by Reno County EMS, have their vital signs checked, rehydrate, and must meet medical criteria before returning to the fireground.
"Especially in this heat, it just takes a lot of personnel," Henke said. "You don't want to overwork your firefighters, but you still have to maintain fire attack and search operations."
The response included firefighters from South Hutchinson, Hutchinson Fire, and multiple departments within Reno County Fire District 1 to ensure enough personnel were available to safely rotate crews throughout the incident.