Limited Water Hampers Mo. Firefighters

Nov. 27, 2015
Crews could only use two hydrants as fire consumed an apartment building and damaged two homes.

A fast-moving fire powered by gusting winds destroyed a 19th century apartment building and two houses Thursday in Sedalia, Mo.

It took more than 50 firefighters roughly three hours to control the blaze.

Eleven residents were displaced by the fires, but no injuries were reported.

Fire crews were summoned just after 11 a.m. to a fire in a six-unit apartment building, built in 1856, in the 500 block of West Fourth Street. Firefighters attacked the flames from inside and out, said Deputy Fire Chief Greg Harrell, but in the high winds the blaze spread to an adjacent house.

Embers also blew across the street, igniting several lawns and another house.

“We were trying to fight three fires at the same time, all in a space of about 150 feet,” he said. “We had limited access and limited water supply because we were on two hydrants there.”

No damage estimates were immediately available.

Glenn E. Rice: ,

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©2015 The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Mo.)

Visit The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Mo.) at www.kansascity.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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