SHAWNEE, Kan. — A fire that ripped through a mansion at 5450 Lackman Road on Wednesday, September 10 was intentionally set according to the Shawnee Fire Department. Friday afternoon investigators said that after examining the home, it was determined the mansion had been vandalized, property was taken and someone set the fire on purpose.
There were mixed reactions in the Shawnee neighborhood after people found out the nearby mansion was intentionally set on fire. Firefighters found the home engulfed in flames on Wednesday.
Firefighters haven’t released many details, which has left neighbors wondering: Who would have torched the house and why?
“It’s an established neighborhood, it’s very family oriented,” neighbor Bill Milam said.
It’s why Milam and his wife moved to the neighborhood decades ago. They raised a family and had never seen anything in the least bit suspicious, until earlier this week.
“We had two helicopters hovering overhead, I was very curious,” he said.
They started noticing smoke billowing from a mansion beyond a fence. Soon, flames seemed to be out of control.
Firefighters say a person nearby called 911 to report what seemed to be smoke from burning leaves. When responders got on scene they found the home engulfed in flames.
“It would be disturbing to think that our house could be in jeopardy,” Milam said.
But what’s even more disturbing to Milam, is that someone intentionally set it on fire.
“I know that desperate people will sometimes do desperate things. But it’s not something I would expect to happen in Shawnee,” he said.
During the investigation, firefighters found the house had been vandalized and property was stolen from the home. A shock to Milam, who says because the neighborhood is so secluded, a stranger would’ve most certainly stood out.
“It seems very uncharacteristic of this neighborhood and this community,” he said.
FOX 4 did try to reach out to the homeowner Friday and had no luck. He reportedly was out of town in Denver, Colorado when the fire started.
Land records show that the mansion is valued at close to $1.5 million. A joint investigation is now ongoing involving both the Shawnee Fire Department and the Shawnee Police Department.