Man killed in SW Wichita home explosion identified, details emerge

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Update Monday evening: The Wichita Police Department identified the man killed in a Sunday evening home explosion as 48-year-old Kendal James. Pets also died in the explosion in which the Wichita Fire Department said, fireworks were involved.

Wichita Fire Battalion Chief Jose Ocadiz said while fireworks were found at the home, investigators continue their work to pinpoint what caused the explosion.

The Wichita Police Department responded with their EOD team and they did find some fireworks that they were able to take off site and take it to their bomb range,” Ocadiz said. “But at this time, right now, unknown of specific types and kinds of fireworks and the amount of fireworks.”

On Monday, 12 News spoke with witnesses, including neighbors to the heavily damaged home near S. Cardington St. & W. Blake St., in southwest Wichita.

“We were just sitting in the house, watching TV and we heard this loud ‘bang,’” neighbor Darrell Gails said. “I’m thinking like, ‘somebody hit my house with a brick or a rock or something. It shook my house.”

Neighbor Jessica Eichbauer-Welsh provided a similar account.

“I was in our kitchen, trying to prep dinner and it was just a massive... It shook my entire house, it scared me to death,” she said.

Eichbauer said she ran outside, thinking something had happened to her house.

“It was scary. I don’t know what to say apart from that, it was terrifying,” she said.

Update Monday 10:30 a.m. In a briefing Monday morning, the Wichita Fire Department said fireworks were involved in the deadly home explosion Sunday evening.

The department received the call of a house fire, with subsequent calls of explosions happening in the house. Crews arrived to find heavy fire and smoke showing. During their initial effort to combat the fire, another explosion occurred. This caused a the firefighters to go to defensive tactics and fight the fire only from outside the home.

Firefighters believe there were three explosions. A 48-year-old man died in the fire. Two people lived in the home and some pets. There were pets dead inside the home.

The fire is still under investigation. Due to the fire and explosions there is a joint investigation involving the state Fire Marshal’s Office and the ATF.

Update (Sunday 8:30 p.m.): Wichita Fire Department (WFD) Battalion Chief, Jose Ocadiz, said fire crews, the Wichita Police Department (WPD) and the ATF are investigating what caused the explosion.

Update (Sunday 6:30 p.m.): Sedgwick County Emergency Communications confirmed one person is dead after a house explosion in southwest Wichita.

Sedgwick County Emergency Communications confirmed crews responded to house fire and explosion in southwest Wichita.

Dispatch said crews responded to S. Cardington St. & W. Blake St. at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday.

12 News has a crew headed to the scene to gather more details.