HUTCHINSON, Kan. — It was a busy Christmas Eve for firefighters in Hutchinson. In addition to the apartment fire, they responded to two other fire calls in the city.

The first came in at 5:39 p.m., when they responded to the 1000 block of North Jefferson for a structure fire. At that location, they found a chimney fire.

It took ten minutes to put out. No damage was done to the structure because the fire was contained to the chimney area.

The residence was occupied by two people at the time of the fire and no one was injured. The cause of the fire was build up in the chimney. Fire officials ask that you remember to have your chimneys cleaned and inspected regularly. They say that it was fortunate that this one was contained to the chimney, however, these can spread into the walls and cause a lot of damage while being extinguished.

The second call came in at 8:26 p.m. in the 700 block of West 1st. Crews found heavy fire involvement in the front two-thirds of the structure. They made an aggressive interior attack and had the fire controlled in 20 minutes.

The residence was occupied by two adults and a baby at the time and they were able to escape the fire before firefighters arrived. One of the occupants was treated by Reno County EMS at the scene for smoke inhalation, but was not transported. One dog did perish in the fire.

Damage is estimated at $20,000. The Red Cross was called to assist the occupants. The cause of the fire appears to be items left on top of a floor furnace.

They tell us that many older homes in town have these floor furnaces. They advise residents to keep these floor furnace vents free of combustibles. They say with the up and down weather so far this winter, your furnace may not be running during the day, but may need to at night to keep the temperature up.

This is the third fire they worked in a 24-hour period and the fifth this week. The Hutchinson Fire Department is asking the public to be extra careful this holiday season. Ensure Christmas trees are watered properly, don’t overload electrical cords or outlets, and make sure candles are free from combustible materials and properly extinguished when not attended. Use extra caution when preparing meals for family gatherings around the kitchen.

They also would like everyone to take a few minutes to ensure their smoke detectors are functioning correctly. A working smoke detector is your first and best line of defense if a fire were to occur in your home at night while you are sleeping.

If you have questions on placement or other needs concerning smoke detectors, please call the Fire Department at 694-2871.