Smoldering fireplace damages Overland Park apartments

A smoldering fireplace is the suspected cause of a Tuesday morning apartment fire in Overland Park.

No one was hurt in the fire that was reported shortly after 8 a.m. in the 9200 block of West 79th Street.

Three apartment units were damaged and six residents were displaced, according to Overland Park fire officials.

The residents of one unit had used their fireplace Monday night, and investigators said it appeared that the fire had spread from the chimney and smoldered inside a wall before it was discovered Tuesday.

The residents told firefighters that they had used scrap lumber and treated wood instead of dry, seasoned firewood.

Batteries had been removed from a smoke detector in the unit where the fire broke out, officials said.

This story was originally published December 13, 2016 at 10:48 AM with the headline "Smoldering fireplace damages Overland Park apartments."