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Discarded cigarette may have caused early morning Riverside fire

May 27, 2012|By Joe Fenton & Melody Pettit | KWCH 12 Eyewitness News

WICHITA, Kan. — A fire causes about $100,000 worth of damage to a home in Wichita's Riverside neighborhood.

The blaze started around 6:15am Sunday, in the 800 block of Litchfield.

Eyewitnesses say heavy smoke and flames were coming from the front of the house by the time fire crews arrived on the scene.

"We determined it was going to be a defensive fire to get it knocked down and protect exposure to the houses on either side of it," said Battalion Chief Sid Newby.

“It’s amazing they were there at the right time to help us,” said Adrienne Banta.

Banta and her boyfriend say if it wasn't for the quick-thinking of complete strangers, they wouldn't have made it out alive.

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“I don't know their names, but I want to say thank you,” said Banta.

Good Samaritans were driving by, noticed the porch was on fire and woke the couple up.

“The guy rang the doorbell but we didn’t wake us so he went to the back door and woke my boyfriend up,” said Banta.

The couple made it out alive with one of their dogs but their ten-year old English bulldog died in in the fire.

“It was just scary, really scary,” said Banta.

Capt. Stuart Bevis with the Wichita Fire department says initial reports point to a discarded cigarette that caused the fire. It started on the front porch.

Two Riverside residents say complete strangers saved their lives.
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