KCTV 5Shawnee family lost everything in massive fire

Shawnee family lost everything in massive fire

Posted: Updated:
By Chris Oberholtz, Multimedia Producer - email
By Stephen Mayer, Multimedia Journalist - bio | email
It was a harrowing scene in a Shawnee neighborhood as a massive house fire broke out seriously damaging four homes. It was a harrowing scene in a Shawnee neighborhood as a massive house fire broke out seriously damaging four homes.
It was a harrowing scene in a Shawnee neighborhood as a massive house fire broke out seriously damaging four homes. It was a harrowing scene in a Shawnee neighborhood as a massive house fire broke out seriously damaging four homes.
It was a harrowing scene in a Shawnee neighborhood as a massive house fire broke out seriously damaging four homes. It was a harrowing scene in a Shawnee neighborhood as a massive house fire broke out seriously damaging four homes.
SHAWNEE, KS (KCTV) -

In a matter of moments a Shawnee family lost everything as high winds had firefighters racing to keep the flames from spreading to nearby homes.

A massive fire tore through their home on the 17300 block of West 70th Street near Interstate 435 early Sunday morning.

Hours after flames first broke out there was nothing left but a few exterior walls and smoldering ash.

Ash and debris litter neighboring yards from the strong winds that whipped up the flames.

The homeowners who lived through the harrowing ordeal said they are very shaken up after the powerful fire.

Eph and Jan Ehly are counting their blessings after they awoke to the fire.

Eph's wife, Jan, first spotted the flames around 5 a.m. Sunday and within minutes they were nearly surrounded by a wall of fire.

"There were flames 50 to 100 feet high in the air. The home was totally engulfed in just a few minutes. It was one fireball from one area to the next," said Eph Ehly, who lost his home to the fire.

Ehly knew he had to act quick, so he and his wife raced for the door.

"We went out the door. The flames were licking away at our hair. We just got out by the skin of our teeth," said Ehly.

The couple made their way to neighbor Lynn Wren's house who called 911.

Soon crews from Shawnee, Lenexa and Olathe were on the scene. Wren says the high winds were sending flaming embers onto nearby homes, but says crews did a great job of limiting the damage.

"They did a good job working on that house and a full crew was on my house because my roof was covered with hot embers," said neighbor Lynn Wren.

The Ehly's may have lost everything, but say they are thanking God that they do have each other and a supportive family to rely on.

"Our kids have setup a table they call it ground zero. They are working for us. We are so blessed. They have computers, they are contacting people for us, life is good," said Jan Ehly.

Now, all this family can do is begin sifting through the rubble of what used to be their home, as they begin the long and tedious rebuilding process.

Copyright 2012 KCTV (Meredith Corp.)  All rights reserved.