April 19, 2024

Garden City Police Department

On November 24, 2019, at around 7:00 P.M., the Garden City Police Department, Garden City Fire Department, and Finney County EMS were dispatched to 801 Campus Dr., the Garden City Community College, for a reported structure fire.

Upon arrival, officers determined the fire was at 611 Campus Dr. Apt. #9, and saw there
was a fire in the kitchen area of the apartment.

Investigation revealed the resident of the apartment had boiled a candle in a pot of water
on the stove, which ultimately caught fire to the stove and surrounding area. A passerby
saw smoke coming from the apartment and tried to make contact at the door of the
apartment. With no luck, the passerby made entry into the apartment and saw the kitchen
area in flames. The passerby located no one inside of the apartment and notified GCCC
staff who attempted to extinguish the fire; however, staff was unsuccessful in getting the
fire out.

The Garden City Fire Department was able to extinguish the fire fully, and the passerby
sustained minor injuries that were treated on scene by Finney County EMS. There were no
residents inside of 611 Campus Dr. at the time the fire started, and the adjacent apartment
complex was evacuated as a precaution.