Overnight fire consumes grain elevator in Lathrop, leaves residents without power
Lathrop area firefighters worked to contain a massive fire that broke out at a grain elevator Thursday.
The scene, about 45 minutes north of Kansas City, involved firefighters from at least four jurisdictions. Law enforcement agencies blocked off the area as crews worked for several hours to mitigate damage.
People shared stories on social media Thursday about hearing a loud noise early in the morning. Crews were on the scene just after 1 a.m., close to the time the fire is suspected to have begun.
Lathrop FSG’s north warehouse and several of its surrounding grain bins suffered damage, according to a statement by Redwood Group, which owns Lathrop Feed.
After extinguishing the fire, the Lathrop Fire Protection District advised people to stay clear of the scene in the coming days.
“Thank you for your patience and cooperation with this situation,” a Facebook post read Thursday afternoon.
“Please continue to avoid this area. It’s an ongoing battle. You will continue to see (and) smell smoke (or) steam in the coming days.”
Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire. No injuries have been reported.
Due to a “significant power outage” suspected to be caused by the fire, Lathrop R II School District announced on social media that classes were canceled Thursday.
Ameren, an energy company that services the area, reported more than 450 area customers without power at the time of the blaze. Most customers in the area have seen their power restored. As of late Thursday afternoon, only six customers were without power, according to the Ameren website.
