Wathena family’s home destroyed, pets killed in weekend fire

By Jenna Wilson

A family is left without a home and without some of their pets following a late-night fire in Wathena, Kansas, over the weekend.

The fire happened around 11:15 p.m. Saturday near Elwood Park Homes in Wathena.

Thelma Chilcoat and her two teenage children were fortunate to make it out of the fire safely, but the trailer home she and her family had lived in for nearly four years was destroyed.

“My first thought went to my kids,” said Chilcoat. “I remember yelling, ‘It’s a fire, get out … get out!’ My second thought was my dogs because I just walked out of a house without my dogs.”

Multiple fire departments were called to help quench the flames and responded within minutes but not in enough time to save the home.

The only thing left standing at the residence is part of the master bedroom.

“When we walked out, the fire was only in the living room,” said Chilcoat. “When I tried to step back in, the smoke was already so bad I literally couldn’t find my door and it was only four steps away from me. I felt helpless, and there was nothing I could do.”

Fire officials said this may have been an electrical fire, caused by faulty electrical outlets, which are common in older homes.

While Chilcoat, her children and dog were able to make it out alive, at least three of her nine cats did not, which has been hard for the family. One kitten is undergoing surgery at Angel’s Vet Express in Andrew County, and the other five haven’t been located.

Chilcoat and her children spent Monday afternoon searching the trailer, hoping to find some of them outside of the home today.

“These weren’t just kittens; Chloe is 16 years old,” said Chilcoat. “Bassie was 10 going to be 11 and I just wish someone could have taken five seconds to pick him up and remove him from the heat.”

Despite this, she’s grateful for her neighbor, who helped save her two dogs and a cat, claiming he came running from his trailer and entered through the back porch despite the trailer going up in flames.

“I don’t know what he was thinking,” she said. “He just told me to shove him in there and through the window he handed me Pooch, my big 90-pound dog, and Smudge, my 80-pound dog. He threw them along with one of my cats and my phone out the window. Without him, I wouldn’t have them today.”

Chilcoat and her two children are staying at a motel, and she said they are receiving plenty of help from Red Cross and Angel’s Vet.

While nothing can bring back the cats she lost, she hopes her family will soon find a new home. For her kids, she hopes they can get past the trauma they endured.

“My son has been completely disconnected and one of the cats, Shadow, gave him something to connect to,” Chilcoat said. “All we want right now is a place to sleep and hopefully some peace in our heart from the loss.”