ACFD responds to structure fire

The Arkansas City Fire/EMS Department responded to a structure fire at 1:05 p.m. January 4, 2026, in the 300 block of West Jackson Avenue, involving a two-story, wood-frame, two-family apartment building.

Fire crews arrived on scene to find dark smoke coming from a first-floor studio apartment. The sole occupant of the apartment, a female resident, was able to escape the structure prior to firefighters’ arrival and was not injured.

Firefighters made entry and brought the fire under control quickly. During a search of the second-floor apartment, which sustained smoke damage, crews located and removed the occupant’s pet cat. The animal appeared to be unharmed.

The fire was determined to have originated from a lit candle in the first-floor apartment. A damage estimate is not yet available.

No additional injuries were reported.