Teenage girl killed in house fire in Northeastern Kansas City Saturday morning
A 16-year-old girl was found dead in a house fire in Northeast Kansas City Saturday morning, according to the fire department.
Crews were called to the scene in the 100 block of South Wheeling Avenue just after 10 a.m., said Kansas City Fire Department Deputy Chief Jimmy Walker.
Heavy smoke was seen coming from the one and a half story house when crews arrived.
Firefighters made an “aggressive attempt” to rescue those inside the house, which was significantly damaged, Walker said.
Steven Noah, a neighbor, said he started smelling smoke while he was relaxing at home Saturday morning. He said he was looking for the smoke when he looked outside and saw the roof of the house next door engulfed in flames.
Fire was coming out of the chimney. By then, he said, firefighters had arrived and carried out a young person who was found upstairs in the burning home. Attempts were made to revive the girl, but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Her identity has not been released.
Noah, who didn’t know the family, said he had a bad feeling when he saw the girl taken out of the home in the arms of a firefighter and placed on a gurney.
“I feel awfully bad about seeing that little girl coming down... The fireman came back on this side of the fence and just got down on his knees and started crying...” Noah said.
“I don’t know what might have started it, I don’t know.”
Later Saturday, Walker said an investigation determined that the fire was accidental. He said it appeared it started in the fireplace flue.
The Kansas City Police Department assisted at the scene.
This story was originally published December 7, 2019 at 5:32 PM.
