Fire officials release cause of fire that displaced 10 from Overland Park apartments
Officials said a Tuesday morning fire that displaced 10 people at an Overland Park apartment was caused by a cigarette.
The fire was reported just before 7:30 a.m. Tuesday at Aspen Lodge Apartments in the 10200 block of West 81st Terrace, fire officials said.
According to a report released Wednesday morning by the fire department, the blaze was the result of the careless discard of smoking materials.
“A resident admitted to putting out a cigarette in a planter that contained potting soil,” according to the release. “Potting soil often contains organic materials that can become combustible when dry.”
Fire officials said they believe the fire began on a back balcony and spread to other nearby floors.
First units on the scene reported heavy fire visible from the roof of the two-story apartment building. Officials at the time said evacuations were already in progress. There were no injuries reported.
Crews had the fire under control in about 40 minutes, Overland Park Fire Department spokesman Jason Rhodes said, adding that the wood roofs likely contributed to the rapid spread of the fire. Part of the roof of the apartment building collapsed and it suffered significant fire damage.
An adjacent building suffered very minor roof damage from exposure to the fire.
Ten residents from six apartments were displaced, Rhodes said. Eight were relocated within the same complex and the Red Cross assisted the other two.
The Star’s Cortlynn Stark contributed.
