Fire breaks out at Parade Park complex; its second in 24-hour period
The Kansas City Fire Department on Thursday morning extinguished another blaze in the city’s Parade Park complex, which is slated to be demolished in the coming weeks.
Firefighters responded to reports of a fire in the 1500 block of Garfield Avenue at approximately 10:40 a.m. Thursday. Crews found heavy smoke and fire coming from a vacant apartment, according to a news release from department spokesperson Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.
Crews were able to bring the blaze under control by 10:52 a.m., Nolan said. Firefighters conducted searches, which came back “all clear,” according to the news release.
The blaze is at least the 12th fire that has broken out at the complex since Thanksgiving, with the most recent fire occurring on Jan. 28.
Increased security measures at the complex, which include new cameras, fencing and additional security, have failed to stop fires at the complex.
Parade Park is a historic Black-owned housing cooperative in Kansas City’s 18th and Vine Jazz District, first opened in the 1960s. The federal government took over management of the complex in 2023 amid deteriorating conditions.
Demolition of the buildings was initially scheduled for last month, but was delayed as developers secured additional funding for a $300 million development project slated for the complex.
The Star’s Laura Bauer and Kendrick Calfee contributed reporting.
This story was originally published January 29, 2026 at 4:56 PM.
