Three escape burning home Tuesday

Two adults and a 6-month-old baby escaped a burning house before it became fully enveloped in flames early Tuesday.

Vincent Woods, 18, Courtney Clayton, 20, and 6-month-old Kassen Woods were home when the two-story house at 1287 Jayhawk Road caught fire around 6:45 a.m. Tuesday.

The three managed to exit out the front door without injury.

Spray from a fire hose mingles with residual smoke and steam as Bourbon County rural firefighters squelch smoldering embers in the ruins of a two-story house that caught fire Tuesday morning on the 1200 block of Jayhawk Road. Fire collapsed the house and reduced it to a pile of debris only moments after firefighters exited the structure.

The fire apparently started in a wood stove in the basement, Scott Township District No. 5 firefighter Tom Applegate said. However, firefighters have been unable to determine what caused the fire to spread from the stove.

Officials determined that the fire wasn't caused by foul play but was merely an accident.

From there, fire quickly traveled up the vents and walls into the rest of the house. Woods and Clayton heard popping sounds and then flames began shooting out the vents in the bedroom. Vincent Woods tried to extinguish the flames in the basement, but they were too big, firefighters said.

When firefighters arrived, the house was fully engulfed. A single crew entered the house for a brief time but pulled back. The house collapsed shortly after firefighters exited the structure, firefighters said.

Luckily, no one was hurt. Vincent Woods inhaled smoke but wasn't serious enough to get medical help.

A specific dollar amount of loss hasn't been determined.

A total of 17 firefighters from districts No. 3 and 5, Redfield and Uniontown responded to the scene. They doused the house with more than 10,000 gallons of water.

Rural firefighters work on what's left of a devastating house fire on Jayhawk Road that happened early Tuesday.

The Bourbon County Chapter of the American Red Cross has provided for a motel room for the family for a couple of days, said Whendi Martin, executive secretary of the Red Cross chapter. The family is searching for another place to live, she said.

"We're trying to provide them with immediate needs at this point," Martin said.

Martin also served firefighters food and beverages at the scene. The refreshments were donated by McDonald's, and Applegate said a neighbor near the fire scene provided coffee to firefighters,which really helped out.

Spray from a fire hose mingles with residual smoke and steam as Bourbon County rural firefighters squelch smoldering embers in the ruins of a two-story house that caught fire Tuesday morning on the 1200 block of Jayhawk Road. Fire collapsed the house and reduced it to a pile of debris only moments after firefighters exited the structure.