KC firefighters respond to fire at Willow Creek Apartments for second night in a row
Kansas City firefighters for the second night in a row were called to a fire at Willow Creek Apartments on the south side of the city.
The first fire incident had been reported about 7:15 p.m. Tuesday night at the apartment building, where all residents were evacuated.
Then, around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, firefighters were called again to the apartments at 119 W. 99th Terrace, where they found flames mostly on the third floor. Fire also reached into the attic space.
Assistant Chief Jimmy Walker, of the Kansas City Fire Department, said crews went in at first but encountered heavy fire. Firefighters exited the structure and continued to battle the blaze late Wednesday night.
No injuries were reported as a result of Wednesday’s fire, and Walker said no one was inside the building when they arrived due to the apartments already being evacuated from Tuesday’s incident.
“Last night, we had a fire in the same building, but it’s 24 hours between the two fires, so I’m not quick to say that it was left over from last night. ... The cause is under investigation,” Walker said of Wednesday’s fire. He said KCPD’s Bomb and Arson would likely be called for assistance in the investigation.
Walker added that investigators believe “defective kitchen equipment” at a second-floor unit caused the fire the night before, which resulted in smoke damage to the building.
No residents were injured in that incident, though two firefighters had minor injuries Tuesday. The firefighters have since been released from the hospital, Walker said.
This story was originally published March 5, 2020 at 12:42 AM.
