Man in his 70s, cat killed in Christmas night fire at Derby duplex

By Eduardo Castillo – The Wichita Eagle (TNS)

Dec. 26—A man and a cat were killed Christmas night when a duplex in Derby caught on fire.

Officials have not yet released the identity of the man, who was in his 70s. He lived in the duplex with one other person, who wasn’t home at the time, Derby Fire Department Chief John Turner said in an email Thursday.

Derby fire crews responded to the house fire at 10:49 p.m. in the 700 block of East Meadowlark. A resident called 911 after seeing flames coming from a bedroom window of the duplex.

Responding fire crews were met with heavy smoke at the front door, but were able to push through and enter the home.

“Firefighters initiated an aggressive interior attack, pushing through intense heat until they reached flames emanating from the hallway leading to the bedrooms,” Turner said.

They found the victim unresponsive. He was declared deceased at the scene, Turner added.

The Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Derby Police Department were called in to help investigate the cause of the fire, which they say is not suspicious.

Turner said the fire caused $100,000 in damage.

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