Context: The attached video initially aired on March 4, 2026.
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Officials are releasing new information this week following a recent deadly downtown Topeka apartment fire that claimed the life of one person.
Kimberly Qualls with the Topeka Fire Department said in a press release on Tuesday, March 10 the deceased individual has been identified as 60-year-old Topeka resident Lynette Newman.
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Past Reporting
First responders were notified about a structure fire at 9 p.m. on March 4 for an apartment building at 715 Southwest Western Avenue. Topeka firefighters arriving at the scene found heavy smoke coming from a multi-family apartment complex and began efforts to douse the flames.
Firefighters rescued several of the apartment’s residents during their response to the fire. First responders took four people to a nearby hospital for treatment, with one person suffering from life-threatening injuries.
City of Topeka spokesman Dan Garrett said one person died at the scene due to the fire. A total of nine apartment units were displaced. The Topeka Fire Department’s investigative unit responded to the situation, determining in its initial findings the fire was caused due to an accident associated with unattended cooking.
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