It is not typical that a good story can come out of a house fire. But, upon observation of a Friday evening fire in Morton, something rather typical of Mortonites arose.
It was about 7:30 p.m. that night when Dennis and Cathy Overstreet took a peaceful walk down Nebraska in Morton. It was nothing out of the ordinary until the two heard a smoke detector beeping from a nearby residence.
The Overstreets followed the sound, eventually approaching the house from which the beeping echoed.
They knocked on the front door and rang the door bell several times. There was no response. But, there were several animals inside.
They could smell burning rubber and melting plastic, so they knew something was not right.
So, they called 911 to report a possible fire as the two continued to alert anyone who may have been inside by knocking on doors.
Morton police officers and firefighters arrived several minutes later and opened the front door.
Nearly instantly, a medium-size dog escaped the home and began running about the neighborhood.
Not knowing where the dog had come from, onlookers continued to grab its attention as it ran nervously near the home.
It approached the house several times, as if it were trying to get back inside. Each time the dog progressed near the house, its tail fell between its legs and ears pulled back.
It was clear the dog wanted to go back home but realized something was wrong. When the owners arrived, the dog was nowhere to be seen.
A small fire sparked by an electrical problem near a fish tank caused about $20,000 in damages to the home of Rick Teel, 239 N. Nebraska. There was extensive smoke damage from burning plastic found in the home, Morton Fire Department Chief Joe Kelley said.
The fire was quickly extinguished and no injuries were reported. So, Teel began looking for his dog, Jasper.
As did the rest of the onlookers watching from the sidewalks.
Residents combed through the neighborhood, calling for Jasper for nearly an hour.
Jasper was eventually found.
The Overstreets, who initially noticed the fire, were less inclined to take credit for noticing the fire were pleased to find that nobody was injured and the damage was limited.
“I’d hope someone would do the same for us,” Dennis Overstreet said.
The thoughtfulness of the Overstreets and the many nearby residents who made the effort to search for Jasper was a sight only found in a small town like Morton.
It was a series of kind gestures that should not go unrecognized.
