Trending Topics

Mo. firefighters switch tactics, avoid collapse at abandoned building fire

Kansas City firefighters withdrew from the building and switched to defensive operations minutes before the roof collapsed

By Noelle Alviz-Gransee
The Kansas City Star

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City firefighters avoided injury while fighting a blaze burning in a vacant building Thursday when they evacuated crews before a roof collapse, officials said.

The Kansas City Fire Department responded around 11 a.m. to fight the vacant building fire in east Kansas City.

When firefighters arrived, they saw heavy smoke in the 5100 block of E. 27 Street, said KCFD Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins in a news release.

After a few minutes, the incident commander made the choice to evacuate the building of firefighters and conduct defensive operations from outside, Hopkins said.

Five to ten minutes after firefighters were evacuated, the whole roof collapsed on the west side of the building, Hopkins said. No one was injured, and the fire was under control before noon.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

©2025 The Kansas City Star.
Visit kansascity.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Trending
Senate Bill 466, passed by the House, would allow job training credits to count toward Firefighter I Certification and grant EMS agencies a grace period for state reporting
A former Waterbury firefighter contesting his firing for medical marijuana use could be held in contempt after allegedly violating court orders, including sending a defiant email to the mayor
After a four-year hiatus, the FDNY’s iconic fundraising calendar is back, featuring 25 of the department’s fittest first responders
The IAFF says President Freddy Escobar failed to properly document over $212,000 in expenses, reaffirming audit findings despite new receipts