Man killed in Overland Park house fire was singer for Kansas City alternative metal band
The two people killed in a house fire in Overland Park Monday were the singer from Kansas City alternative metal band Epocℏ and his wife, according to a post on the band’s Facebook page.
“It is with heavy heart I say this ............... [our singer] and his wife passed away today,” the band said in the post. “Please keep your thoughts and prayers with us today.”
The Overland Park Fire Department has not yet released the names of the people killed in the fire. Authorities were notifying next of kin and one of the victim’s families is from outside the United States.
A third person, who fire officials said was the mother of one of the victims, was injured in the fire as well. She was taken to a hospital and released later on Monday. Three teenagers who were at the house at the time of the fire escaped uninjured.
The singer killed in the fire was the vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist for the three-member band formed formed in the Spring of 2020, according to the band’s website. The band described its music as a unique “mix of clear vocals, Heavy Guitars, innovative Bass lines and Progressive Drums.”
The two other band members are Cody Backhus on base and Dirk Lindberg on drums.
Prior to Epocℏ, the singer performed at several Kansas City locations under his own name.
Fire reported early Monday
Firefighters were alerted to the blaze about 1:20 a.m. when a person inside the home called 911 and reported the fire and that people were still inside, possibly trapped.
The caller didn’t know the home’s address, but dispatchers were able to send fire crews in the right direction. Dispatchers were able to narrow down the location of the fire and as firefighters got loser it became obvious which house was ablaze. The lack of address did not delay firefighters’ response, Overland Park Fire Chief Bryan Dehner said.
Firefighters reported seeing heavy smoke and flames coming from the home, which is located in the 10300 block of Westgate Street. Because of its proximity to the border with Lenexa, firefighters from both cities responded, Dehner said.
As fire crews attacked the blaze, other firefighters entered the house to search for the victims. Other fighters used on the outside used ladders to try to get to the victims.
“Fire was between us and them, so it just made it challenging getting in there,” Dehner said. “Crews were on the outside trying to reach them.”
There were six people, including three teenagers, inside the home at the time of the fire. The teenagers were able to escape by themselves. They then helped the mother of one of the victims escape through a window.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation and is being conducted alongside the death investigation, which is standard practice for the city in all fatal fires, according to Jason Rhodes, a spokesman for the fire department.
Fire investigators didn’t find any working smoke alarms inside the home, Rhodes said.
The Overland Park Fire Department will conduct a neighborhood smoke alarm canvas later this week in the blocks surrounding the home.
People who don’t have a working smoke detector in their homes should call their local fire departments which have programs to provide one for free.
The Star’s Andrea Klick contributed to this report.
This story was originally published June 20, 2022 at 3:55 PM.
