Updated: Thursday, Sept. 2, 5:30 a.m.
Investigators say the cause of a deadly condo fire Tuesday in Overland Park remains “undetermined.”
The Overland Park Fire Department says a woman, 51, and her dog died in the fire Tuesday afternoon.
Fire officials have identified the victim as Julie Ann Peterson.
In a statement Wednesday, Overland Park Fire Department Media Manager Jason Rhodes said some evidence suggested it was a “cooking fire” but that investigators were not able to rule out the possibility that an electrical problem with the stove may also have contributed to the fire.
“The cause of death investigation is ongoing and being handled by the Johnson County Medical Examiner’s Office,” Rhodes said in the statement.
The fire
Rhodes says firefighters were called to the Chalet Condominiums, 9589 Outlook Street, at 3:20 p.m. Tuesday.
The first firefighters to arrive reported smoke visible from the two-story, multi-unit condominium.
“Crews searched the address reported to contain the fire but then located heavy smoke in an adjoining unit,” Rhodes said. “They made entry and found a kitchen fire, which they quickly extinguished.”
Rhodes says firefighters located the woman, later identified as Peterson, in the front living room of the condo, along with a deceased dog by the front door.
Damage from the fire was contained to the unit where the fire started, and no other injuries were reported.
Rhodes says it was later determined that the condo unit did not have working smoke alarms when the fire broke out.
Post Editor Kyle Palmer contributed to this report.
