Firefighters battle cold, blaze at waste disposal company in Martin City area of south KC
Firefighters shut down railroad tracks and Holmes Road Tuesday morning so they could run water from a hydrant as they battled a blaze at a waste disposal company in the Martin City area of south Kansas City, a fire department spokesman said.
Firefighters responded shortly before 5:30 a.m. to a building fire at the American Companies’ operation at 911 East Blue Ridge Boulevard, said Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins with the Kansas City Fire Department.
Arriving fire crews found a single-story maintenance facility fully engulfed in flames. Hopkins said firefighters fought the fire defensively, using an aerial ladder to spray water down upon the blaze from above.
The building contained bulk oil for maintenance purposes, Hopkins said. It leaked from the building and hazardous materials crews built a barrier to act as a dike to contain the oil.
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources was contacted and asked to respond to determine the appropriate cleanup steps.
While battling the blaze, along with the extreme cold, firefighters had to stretch water supply lines across train tracks and Holmes Road to reach a hydrant west of the company’s operations. They were expected to remain closed until at least mid-morning while crews continued work the fire and oil leak.
No one was injured in the fire. Hopkins said the cause of the fire was under investigation.
