About 25 people have been displaced after Kansas City Fire Department crews extinguished a fire at an apartment building Tuesday morning.
Firefighters arrived at the 1000 block of East 9th Street just before 6 a.m. They discovered smoke and fire coming from the second floor of Perry Place Apartments.
A caller initially reported that the residents were trapped inside. After a primary and secondary search, firefighters found no one trapped in the building, said Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins, a KCFD spokesman.
Crews were able to quickly extinguish the fire and no injuries were reported, Hopkins said.
“We believe the individuals were able to escape prior to our arrival,” Hopkins said. “That’s usually what happens, they say, ‘we’re stuck (in the building) and by the time we get there, they’re going out.'”
Hopkins said the building was already in serious disrepair before the fire. Utilities are now shut off and hazardous building inspectors have determined the building is unrentable.
“THey, we were actually evicting everyone because the building is going to be condemned,” Hopkins said. “This morning’s fire accelerates that process.”
The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority provided a warming bus for residents Tuesday morning while KCFD assessed the damage. The American Red Cross is working to help residents of the building find temporary housing.
Hopkins said firefighters will escort people in and out of the building so they can gather their belongings.
An investigation is underway as KCFD tries to determine what caused the fire.
