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January 16, 2009

Fire damages two homes in Joplin

By Dustin Shipman

dshipman@joplinglobe.com

A Joplin woman was treated Friday afternoon at a local hospital after she apparently suffered smoke inhalation when she went back into her burning home in an effort to save her pets.

Joplin fire Chief Gary Trulson said all of the residents at 2826 E. 14th St., were able to escape from the house, and that it was his understanding no one was a home at the house next door at 2830 E. 14th St. when flames spread to it from the house where the blaze started.

Jason Porter, the son of John and Naoma Porter, who live at 2826 E. 14th St., said his mother was taken to Freeman Hospital West. He said his father, John Porter, was not at home at the time of the fire.

“Everyone seems to be safe and at least got out, which was the main thing that we were worried about,” Jason Porter said. “We were able to get the majority of the animals out of the house, so we were glad for that. We still have a dog and two cats unaccounted for; we are hoping that they might be out wandering the neighborhood somewhere, but we were glad to see that everyone made it out.”

Firefighters from Joplin, Duenweg, Carl Junction and Redings Mill departments responded to the scene at 1:27 p.m.

Trulson said the names of the second home’s owners were not available.

He said the owners of the first home said they had a fire going in the fire place,” Trulson said. “They identified that there was smoke and they had time to get out of the home.”

Trulson said soon after they were out of the home it became engulfed in smoke and flames.

One witness on the scene reported seeing Naoma Porter going back into the home after leaving it to retrieve her dogs. Jason Porter said his mother had several dogs and cats in the home at the time of the fire.

Both structures received severe damage during the incident. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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