Firefighters rescue 5 people trapped in apartment fire in Kansas City’s Northeast area
Firefighters rescued five people trapped by smoke after a first-floor apartment in their building caught fire early Tuesday, according to a fire department spokesman.
Four people were taken to the hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation, said Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins with the Kansas City Fire Department. All patients were reported in stable condition.
Firefighters responded to the blaze shortly after 5:30 a.m. at an apartment building in the 300 block of Gladstone Boulevard. The first crew to arrive on the scene reported that heavy fire and smoke were coming from a first-floor apartment, Hopkins said.
Firefighters began an interior attack on the fire. Meanwhile, multiple people were trapped by the heavy smoke.
Fire crews rescued the residents from the second, third and fourth floors and brought the fire under control, Hopkins said. The fire was contained to a single apartment, but there was smoke damage throughout the structure.
The American Red Cross is helping 13 adults and three children affected by the fire.
Fire investigators determined the cause of the fire was accidental. The origin of the fire involved an electric baseboard heater. Investigators, however, were unable to determine if there was an electrical failure or something flammable was too close to the heater and ignited, Hopkins said.
This story was originally published October 15, 2024 at 7:09 AM.
