Shawn D Ormsbee

Newton man dies in blaze

A fire at an apartment complex in the 500 block of Heather Lane in southwest Newton left a man in his 20s dead and a woman injured.

The fire was first reported at 10 p.m. Sunday.

Newton Fire Chief Gary Denny said Shawn Ormsbee, 26, reportedly went back into the burning apartment complex and succumbed to the fire. Denny said no one knows at this time why the man re-entered the building.

Sharon Fisher, 34, reportedly the girlfriend of the man who was killed, smelled smoke and went out on the balcony of the apartment.

Her exit was blocked by the fire, and she jumped from the second-story balcony of the building.

She was taken to Newton Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries.

There reportedly were children living in the apartment, but Denny said the children had left before the fire started.

The building was an eight-apartment complex.

Two units were destroyed by the fire.

Two units suffered moderate damage. The other units suffered smoke damage.

Damage was estimated at $240,000.

All occupants of the remaining apartments were evacuated.

The Red Cross was on scene Sunday night.

Officials are investigating the cause of the fire and did not know yet where the fire started.

ATF, the Wichita Fire Department, Newton Fire/EMS Department, Newton Police Department are involved in the investigation of the fire.

The apartment complex is an older structure, built in the 1950s or '60s, Denny said. It did not have fire walls.

Once the fire spread from the first apartment, it went into the adjoining apartment's common stairwell and attic, which Denny described as a "fire suppression nightmare."

"Once we got a ladder on the building, we were able to quickly knock it down," he said.

Denny said search-and-rescue operations were started as soon as possible.

"Our initial information was that there were potential victims inside," Denny said. "Before we could start search-and-rescue operations, we had to make sure the environment was safe for our crews.

"It is unfortunate. Our hearts go out to the family of the victim. It is unfortunate, and it weighs on our guys to have this type of incident."

The same apartment complex had a fire Nov. 18, Denny said.

In that fire, a father had to toss his children to police officers from a second-story window.

He had to jump from the window and was injured in the fall.

Denny said it will be unknown if there are any commonalties between the two fires until after an investigation is completed.

Denny emphasized the importance of not entering a burning structure.

"We always try to educate people. Do not go back inside. Do not try to retrieve pets. Do not try to retrieve valuables. You are making a life-and-death decision.

"If it is a hazardous environment, do not go back inside," he said.

Despite the risk, at least one man at the scene said he tried to enter the apartments looking for people trapped inside.

Shawn Caraway, who lives at 504 Heather Lane, saw the flames and started kicking down doors until a police officer pulled him away, he said.

He said the apartments already were heavily filled with smoke, and the upper apartments were spitting fire 50 to 100 feet into the air.

"I went inside the apartment, and it was hot and smoky," he said. "The first apartment I went in was already on fire and was falling in. The cops rushed in and pulled me out."

Newton police officers were the first on the scene.

The Newton Fire/EMS Department initiated a recall of all personnel, some to work the fire and others to man Newton's other stations.

Hesston Fire/EMS also assisted.