House fire in west Wichita injures man, kills two dogs

Two dogs were killed and a 59-year-old man was taken to the hospital after a Wednesday night house fire in the Indian Hills area, according to the Wichita Fire Department.

The fire was reported near 17th and Custer at around 9:30 p.m. when a neighbor reported seeing flames and smoke coming from a nearby house, according to Battalion Chief Scott Brown.

Three adults and two children were in the house at the time and evacuated before firefighters arrived, Brown said.

Firefighters quickly put out the fire, which caused major damage to the house, he said.

Two dogs were found dead inside, Brown said.

The man was taken to Via Christi Hospital St. Francis in critical condition for smoke inhalation, according to a Sedgwick County emergency dispatcher.

The American Red Cross will be providing aid to the displaced family, Brown said.

Fire investigators late Wednesday were still trying to determine a cause for the fire.

As of 10:30 p.m., a damage estimate was not yet known.

This story was originally published February 10, 2016 at 10:44 PM with the headline "House fire in west Wichita injures man, kills two dogs."