For 11th Time, Kansas City, MO, Firefighters Battle Apartment Complex Fire
The Kansas City Star
(TNS)
Kansas City firefighters responded Wednesday morning to yet another blaze at the historic Parade Park complex which is scheduled to be demolished in the coming days.
Crews responded at 10:53 a.m. to a reported fire inside a vacant apartment in the 1900 block of E. 16th Street. When they arrived, they encountered “heavy fire” coming from a two-story apartment in the complex, said Michael Hopkins, a Battalion Chief with the Kansas City Fire Department, in a release. No injuries were reported.
“Interior operations were initiated using multiple handlines, and searches of the structure were conducted,” Hopkins said.
The Wednesday morning blaze is the 11th fire in the Parade Park complex since Thanksgiving, the release said. It brings the total number of fires there over the past year to over a dozen, according to previous reporting. The fires have continued despite efforts to increase security measures, including installing cameras and new fencing at the complex and hiring additional security at the property where a new $300 million project is slated.
The Star wrote last week about the hazards at the vacant apartments and concern that fires could continue until the complex is demolished. At that time, project spokesperson Jason Parson said making sure the property remains secured was a top focus of the project team and that “demolition would start in the next two weeks.”
Contacted Wednesday, after the latest fire, Parson said no exact date for demolition has been determined yet.
“All abatement permits have been secured, which was a necessary step to complete before the demolition process could start,” Parson said in an email. “The team is currently working to secure the demolition permit.”
While working to extinguish the fire Wednesday morning, smoke from a building to the east of that location was identified, the fire department’s release said.
“Three companies from the initial fire moved to that location and initiated interior operations and conducted searches of the structure,” Hopkins said. “... And the fire was quickly brought under control.”
The cause of Wednesday’s fire is under investigation by KCFD.
Demolition of the historic Parade Park buildings was scheduled for last month, but was delayed as developers secured additional funding for the complex’s ambitious revitalization project.
The Star’s Kendrick Calfee contributed to this report.
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