MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
Firefighters battled a heavy structure fire Saturday evening at a 2½-story residential building in the 400 block of East Seventh Avenue, according to the Hutchinson Fire Department.
Crews were dispatched at about 6:32 p.m. after receiving a report of a structure fire. First-arriving firefighters found heavy black smoke coming from the eaves of the balloon-frame home, officials said.
Firefighters entered the structure to conduct a search after dispatchers advised that an occupant was still inside attempting to retrieve pets. Additional crews arrived and initiated an aggressive interior attack on the fire, which was found on the first and second floors and in the attic.
Officials said a partial floor collapse occurred in a second-floor bedroom during the incident. No injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The Hutchinson Fire Department was assisted by the Hutchinson Police Department, Evergy, Hutchinson Reno County Emergency Communications, Kansas Gas and Reno County Emergency Medical Services.