Woman hospitalized in house fire

A woman was hospitalized Wednesday morning after escaping a fire at her North Topeka residence.

The blaze was reported at 9:03 a.m. at a one-story, beige home at 1928 N.E. Monroe.

Topeka Fire Department Shift Commander Cindy Holt said first-arriving crews found smoke coming from the residence.

Firefighters attacked the blaze and confined most of the damage to the northwest portion of the residence.

The fire was declared out at 9:43 a.m., though crews continued to attack hot spots along the roof line on the west side of the house.

The fire initially was reported as being a possible entrapment, meaning a person was possibly inside the structure.

However, a Topeka Police Department officer who was among the first people to arrive on the scene found the woman sitting near a garage behind the home.

The woman was taken to a local hospital by American Medical Response ambulance for precautionary reasons.

Power lines were down along the north side of the residence, and a Westar Energy truck was called to the scene to cut power to the home.

A fire investigator had been called to the residence to determine the cause of the fire.

Besides the woman who was in the residence when the fire broke out, no additional injuries were reported.

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