Posted on 12/20/2003 6:07:45 AM PST by Theodore R.
Fire haunts family Mother's house burned 50 years ago
By Michelle Dynes rep2@wyomingnews.com Published in the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle
CHEYENNE - Fifty years to the day after her mother's home burnt to the ground, Cindy Kivisto watched in horror as her own home burned Friday afternoon.
After leaving the house at 2:30 p.m., Kivisto said she got a call at work that her house at 3760 Cribbon Ave. was burning. Kivisto was visibly upset as she talked on a cell phone and was unable to say more.
Family friend Jean Marie Leif said she was taking a walk when she spotted the smoke. She said she instantly thought of her friend and hoped no one was home.
Cheyenne Fire and Rescue Lt. Mike Christmann said when firefighters arrived at the scene, there was visible smoke, but the house was unoccupied.
He said firefighters were trying to reach the fire between the home's two roofs: an asphalt flat roof and a pitched shingled roof.
He said the fire was located between the two roofs, above the flat roof and below the pitched roof. An opening was ripped into the flat roof to create a space for ventilation.
Because of the extreme heat and pressure, the windows exploded. Christmann said this is common.
"When you build up enough pressure, it's going to blow out," he said.
The cause of the blaze remained under investigation Friday night. There was a fireplace in the house, but no fire had been burning Friday. Christmann said he didn't know if either of the homeowners were smokers.
The fire was called in by a neighbor at approximately 2:42 p.m.
"It's a pretty tight timeline," he said.
A truck, battalion and three engines responded to the fire. While the fire was severe, Christmann said no one was injured.
Leif said Kivisto's cat, Smokey, was in the house at the time of the fire.
Christmann said no cat was found as of press time, but he was aware the animal was inside.
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