Early-morning house fire displaces Osawatomie family

Firefighters were notified that all occupants had already safely exited the home, so they used a transitional attack to extinguish the flames from the outside before moving inside to sweep through the house and extinguish any remaining hot spots, Sharp said.

The Osawatomie Fire Department received assistance from the Paola and Fontana fire departments, as well as Miami County Emergency Medical Services.

Sharp said there were about 17 firefighters on scene, and it took them about five hours to work through the home and clear the scene.

Sharp said the cause of the fire was determined to be electrical in nature.

There was heavy fire, water and smoke damage throughout the home, Sharp said, and the Red Cross reached out to help the family find a new temporary lodging.

Resident Jen Schwien said she was luckily still awake in the early-morning hours Saturday because she was finishing cooking for a family dinner the next day.

“I faintly smelled smoke but didn’t think much of it because my neighbor burns wood for heat,” Schwien said. “I saw smoke coming from my bedroom door a few minutes later, and we got out immediately, but it was spreading quickly into the living room.”

Schwien said they had problems with the fuse box throwing a breaker about an hour and a half before the fire started, and it affected the living room outlets on the front wall of the house.

Jen Schwien and her fiancé Brian Smith were renting the home. They both made it out safely along with Jen’s child and adult son who was visiting. Their dog and three cats also safely escaped, Schwien said.

Schwien said she has been overwhelmed by the amount of support from the community since the fire occurred.

“We are incredibly grateful and thankful for the Osawatomie community,” Schwien wrote in an online statement. “The outpouring of help during this time is truly humbling and heartwarming. We thank the community, Oz PD and FD, Lori from Red Cross, Miami County, and the amazing families our children call friends. You are all truly blessings in our lives.”

Schwien said they are currently looking for other rental opportunities in the Osawatomie area because they would like to stay in town and within the school district.