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September 24, 2007

Townhouse fires extinguished; dogs rescued

By Tom Blakey

By Tom Blakey

Transcript Staff Writer

A fire causing major damage to two townhouses in southeast Norman went up in flames in a matter of seconds Monday afternoon, witnesses said.

“It was a small fire at first and a couple of neighbors and I called 911, and then — Boosh! — the whole side of the building went up in flames,” said Pam Slepko, whose husband lives nearby.

Slepko said the fire began close to where materials were stacked outside one of the townhouses, although fire officials said the blaze is under investigation and the cause and location where the fire began have not been determined.

No injuries were reported in the fire, which damaged four of the Hunter’s Run Townhouses at 1329, 1331, 1333 and 1335 Eastgate Drive, said Deputy Fire Chief Jim Bailey.

“We received the initial 911 calls at 4:27 p.m. and it took about 40 minutes for the fire to be extinguished. High winds were a significant factor (in fighting the blaze),” Bailey said.

Many of the tenants and neighbors were distraught while attempting to account for the seven dogs living in the townhouses.

Shaun Flewellen, tenant of 1331 Eastgate Drive, said he was downstairs watching TV when he heard yelling and looked out the window to see smoke and neighbors knocking on doors.

“I went into survival mode and ran to get my dog,” he said. In the meantime, neighbors kicked in his door and Flewellen ran to safety with Zeus in his arms.

The door to another unoccupied townhouse was kicked in, and the occupant’s three dogs ran outside. By the time the woman resident arrived home, her three dogs had been safely collected by neighbors.

Concern spread quickly for two dogs still missing. Lydia Dewell said she wasn’t home when the fire broke out. Her pug, Ginger, had run outside, but no one could account for Roxy, her Boston terrier, or Ladybird, her beagle.

A cry of relief ran through the crowd at 5:45 p.m. Firefighters had found Roxy and Ladybird hiding under a bed inside the townhouse, and Dewell was having a tearful reunion with her pooches.

“I’m excited they’re OK,” Dewell said. “They’re all we really care about right now.”

Tom Blakey366-3540tblakey@normantranscript.com

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