Family safe but resident fears half of duplex may be total loss after fire in Lawrence garage

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No one was injured, but the resident of a duplex in the 1400 block of Maple Street fears that her side of the property may be a total loss after an overnight fire.

Jacquelyn Akins said she woke up to the smell of smoke and found that her Jeep had caught fire in the garage. She, her son and their dog evacuated safely and called the fire department just before 12:50 a.m. Wednesday.

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Akins said Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical firefighters had to cut open her garage door to get to the fire.

Around 20 minutes after the initial fire call, first responders requested a medic unit. Akins said that was to check on some citizens who had tried to fight the fire, and no firefighters were injured.

Akins said Wednesday morning that her Jeep and all their clothes were destroyed.

According to a news release from LDCFM, the spread of the fire was confined to the garage on one side of the duplex. The fire was under investigation Wednesday morning and a damage estimate had not yet been determined.

“Overnight fires are especially dangerous,” the news release said. “Ensure you have working smoke alarms and have a plan for when they go off.”

Jacquelyn Akins/Contributed The kitchen inside a duplex in the 1400 block of Maple Lane is pictured after an overnight fire, June 30, 2021.
August Rudisell/@KsScanner A duplex in the 1400 block of Maple Lane is pictured the morning of Wednesday, June 30, 2021, after an overnight fire.
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