Several fire departments respond to fire near Cheney Reservoir

VIDEO: Several fire departments responded to a fire southeast of Cheney Reservoir Tuesday evening. The report of a building fire came in at 5:25 p.m. near the intersection of West 21st Street North and North 391st Street West. Cheney Fire said the first units to respond found a building fully engulfed in flames. They pulled a water line when the roof started to collapse. There were issues with electrical on the back of the building, Cheney Fire said. Because there were no fire hydrants in the area, crews brought 1,000-gallon tankers to get as much water on the scene as they could. Responding fire crews include Cheney Fire Rescue, Colwich Fire Department, Mount Hope Fire Department and Sedgwick County Fire Stations 31 and 32.
KSNW-TV NBC 3 Wichita

Systems down as City of Wichita investigates ransomware attack

Wichita is one of the latest governments working to recover from a ransomware attack. The city said it noticed Sunday that systems were encrypted by malware, holding the files for ransom and impacting some city services. The city said there’s no timetable for when systems will be restored. That means payment for many city services or bills must be paid for with cash. The full impact of the attack is still being assessed. One of the biggest impacts on the public is electronic payment for bills, licenses or fines can’t be accepted. It’s having an impact on employees as well. “A lot of email systems are being impacted, so some city employees are not able to access their email at this time,” said City of Wichita spokesperson Megan Lovely.
KWCH-TV CBS 12 Hutchinson

Topeka police arrest man for trying to set school on fire

Topeka police arrested a local man for allegedly trying to set a school on fire Sunday. The Topeka Police Department (TPD) announced in a press release Monday morning that officers were called at 5:45 p.m. on May 5 for Robinson Middle School at 1125 SW 14th Street. Officers were informed someone was trying to light the building on fire. Rosie Nichols, TPD spokeswoman, says officers found a 28-year-old Topeka man at the scene. He was identified as a suspect in the investigation and placed under arrest. He was taken to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on the charges of arson and transporting an open container of liquor.
KSNT-TV NBC 27 Topeka

Follow-Up: Red Cross installs free smoke alarms in Rose Hill homes after deadly house fire

VIDEO: On Saturday, the American Red Cross was in Rose Hill with the Rose Hill Fire Department and Butler County Emergency Management installing free smoke detectors to try and prevent tragedies like last month’s deadly house fire that killed three people. “We are out here in honor and memory of the family that was impacted by their home fire and lost their lives,” said Executive Director of American Red Cross South Central and Southeast Kansas Chapter Shannon Wedge, “to go out and talk to residents and ensure that they are thinking about their home fire escape plans.” Tonya Devena was one of many homeowners in the area that signed up to have smoke detectors installed. She says hearing about the deadly house fire in Rose Hill made her take extra precaution to make sure her home is protected.
KWCH-TV CBS 12 Wichita