By Tim Hrenchir
Topeka Capital-Journal
TOPEKA, Kan. — As Topeka Fire Department Shift Commander George Rocha responded to a burning furniture store Wednesday, he said he thought about how the department lost a firefighter in the line of duty two days earlier.
After arriving at the burning building in East Topeka, Rocha said he saw part of its roof begin to sag and gave the order for firefighters who were inside to come out.
“Safety’s always the first thing,” he said.
Rocha said a section of roof toward the building’s northeast corner subsequently collapsed before firefighters put out the fire at Ortega’s Furniture, 2900 S.E. 6th. The store sustained heavy fire damage.
No one was hurt in the smoky blaze, which was reported at 6:15 p.m.
Rocha said that as he responded, he thought about how fire department Capt. Anthony P. Cox, 44, died Monday after battling a fire at the Villa West apartment complex at 6058 S.W. 27th.
Firefighters responded to both Monday’s and Wednesday’s structure fires wearing heavy protective clothing amid blistering heat. The National Weather Service reported the temperature in Topeka was 100 degrees at 6 p.m. Wednesday, shortly before the call to Ortega’s Furniture. The day’s high was 103 degrees.
Rocha said the business, which is located in a one-story building that has an attic, was closed for the day when the fire was reported.
Shawnee County appraisal records show Yuri and Maria Ortega own the property, which has an appraised value of $32,500, not counting contents.
Area residents notified one of the business owners, who let firefighters into the fully involved building, Rocha said. He said that as firefighters inside aggressively attacked the blaze, he saw the roof start to sag and pulled them out.
Firefighters subsequently used one of the department’s two aerial trucks to drench the blaze with water from above as they worked to “surround and drown” it, Rocha said.
Fire Chief Howard Giles cited Wednesday’s attack as a good example of how aerial trucks can be useful for putting out fires at smaller buildings.
Firefighters from five different stations took turns battling the blaze, taking breaks to cool off and rehydrate by drinking water.
American Medical Response ambulance workers stood by, taking the vital signs of at least one firefighter to make sure he was OK.
Rocha said because the store contained furniture and some chemicals, firefighters were particularly concerned about gases that might be present in the smoke.
The cause of Wednesday’s blaze remained undetermined. No dollar estimate of losses was available late in the evening, though Rocha said damage to the building and its contents was significant.
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