Independence Avenue reopens at fire site

Officials investigating an Oct. 12 fatal fire in the Northeast area of Kansas City reopened Independence Avenue on Sunday.

Part of the busy urban artery had been closed between Prospect and Chestnut avenues since the fire. Eastbound afternoon rush hour traffic had been routed one block south to East Sixth Street, often causing gridlock along the residential street. Business owners along Independence Avenue also had been affected.

Investigators have been “mindful” of the impact of street closings on surrounding residents and businesses, said John Ham, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives spokesman.

“We were committed to reopening streets and parking areas affected by the fire as quickly as we could safely do so,” Ham said.

Two Kansas City firefighters died fighting the blaze at 2608 Independence Ave. Investigators are expected to continue studying fire debris at the site this week, Ham said.

This story was originally published October 26, 2015 at 10:25 AM with the headline "Independence Avenue reopens at fire site."