3 hospitalized after Wednesday morning blaze at Kansas City apartment, officials say
UPDATE: Apartment fire displaces over a dozen Kansas City families; drone images show damage
Three people were hospitalized during an overnight apartment fire in Kansas City, officials said.
The Kansas City Fire Department received half a dozen calls of a fire in the 1100 block of Benton Boulevard just after 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, said department spokesman Jason Spreitzer.
By the time crews arrived at the scene, heavy smoke was already coming from the back of the four-story building, Spreitzer said. Fire started showing through the roof by 12:41 a.m.
One person sustained minor injuries when they jumped from a balcony to escape the blaze, Spreitzer said.
Three people were taken to the hospital, he added; one was listed in serious condition.
An estimated 15 to 18 families were displaced in the fire, said Angie Springs, a spokesperson for the American Red Cross, which is providing essential needs to the families who were affected.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Kansas City is assisting the fire and police department in investigating the cause of the blaze, according to an ATF tweet.
This is the second apartment fire investigated by the ATF in recent weeks in Kansas City. A national response team was called in to investigate an apartment fire that displaced about 30 families shortly after Christmas.
This story was originally published January 13, 2021 at 10:15 AM.
