The mobile home of Steven and Barbara Baker, 321 N. Chestnut St., and all of their belongings were destroyed in a fire early Friday.
The Bakers were not home — they were visiting relatives elsewhere — when the fire started around midnight.
The fire, coincidentally enough, was first spotted by Iola firefighters returning to the station after completing an ambulance run, Deputy Fire Chief Tim Thyer said. Flames were spotted in a window when they saw the house.
“By then, there wasn’t a whole lot we could do,” Thyer said.
There was a brief sense of urgency when firefighters noticed a pickup parked next to the house and a child’s bike in the yard. Urgency turned to relief when firefighters realized the house was empty. There were no injuries, although two pets, a dog and a cat, died in the blaze.
Thyer said the fire’s cause remained undetermined, although investigators were focusing on the home’s electrical system. It did not appear to be intentionally set.
The Bakers did not have house insurance, Thyer said.
The Neosho Valley chapter of the American Red Cross is collecting clothes for the Bakers. Steven Bakers wears size 3X shirts and size 12 shoes. Barbara Baker wears size 2X shirts and size 8 shoes. She also needs a coat.
“Once they find a home, they’ll obviously need other things,” said Donna Culver, with the Red Cross.
Information about donations may be obtained by calling 365-8108.
Iolans lose home in fire
