Girl with third-degree burns from Wichita house fire is in stable condition

A girl hospitalized Friday with severe burns from a south Wichita house fire was in stable condition Saturday, Wichita battalion chief Jose Ocadiz said.

The girl was found on the sidewalk when firefighters responded to the fire around 5:30 p.m. in the 800 block of West Mount Vernon. She was taken to the hospital in critical condition because of burns on the lower part of her body, Ocadiz said, adding about 15% of the burns were second degree, and the rest were third-degree burns.

A fire official told media at the scene that the girl was 10.

The home isn’t a complete loss, Ocadiz said, but it’s unlivable right now. American Red Cross is helping four adults and two children who live at the home. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The fire started in a room on the side and back of the home, Ocadiz said, adding that based on the location he suspects it started in a bedroom. Firefighters saw smoke when they arrived and found a fire once they got inside.