The Leavenworth Times
A fire that caused extensive damage to a vacant house over the weekend in Leavenworth remains under investigation, a Fire Department spokesman said.
The fire was reported at 9:28 a.m. Sunday in the 700 block of North Eighth Street. No injuries were reported.
Shawn Kell, health inspector and safety officer for the Leavenworth Fire Department, said the roof of the house collapsed during the fire.
In addition to members of the Leavenworth Fire Department, Leavenworth County Fire District No. 1 also responded to the scene.
Kell said the fire caused an estimated $165,000 in damage.
The Leavenworth fire marshal was unavailable Sunday, so the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office was contacted to investigate the fire, Kell said.
A propane leak likely triggered the explosion last week that killed Banner Creek Reservoir director Lu Griffiths and seriously injured his wife while leveling their home just north of Holton, Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse said Monday. It is unknown what the actual source was that ignited the explosion, he said in a news release.
Preliminary investigation indicated the blast wasn t the result of a criminal act, he said.
The Jackson County Sheriff s Office continued to investigate circumstances of the blast, which occurred about 6:15 p.m. May 10 at the house where Griffiths and his wife, Teri Griffiths, lived at 27284 Q.4 Road, more than three miles north of Holton.
An explosion completely leveled a house early Monday evening north of Holton, killing a rural Holton man and seriously injuring a woman, said Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse.
Found deceased at the scene was Billy “Lu” Griffiths, 61, the director of Holton s Banner Creek Reservoir, he said.
The woman s name and age weren t being made public Tuesday afternoon.
The sheriff s office was investigating to determine circumstances behind the blast, which could be heard more than 10 miles away when it occurred about 6:15 p.m. at a house at 27284 Q.4 Road, more than three miles north of Holton, Morse said. It is believed that the home owners had been working on remodeling the residence, he said.