Eleven people are out of their homes after a fire at the Rosedale Apartment Complex. People living in the apartments said they didn’t hear the fire alarm go off.
“Nothing no sounds made. I was awakened by a knock on my window," said resident Peggy Simpson.
Firefighters evacuated the KCK apartment building after flames broke out early Wednesday morning. Crews arrived at the Rosedale Towers off West 39th around 2 a.m.
Officials said the fire was on the second floor. No injuries were reported.
According to residents, the fire alarm never went off when smoke began to billow out of the apartment building.
People living in the apartments said each apartment has a smoke detector, with alarms in the hallway. Diane Howell lives two doors down from where the fire started.
“I was getting ready go to bed and I heard this unusual sound from out in the hallway which turned out to be the sprinklers. It was a really loud sound too. So I opened the door, smoke billowing into my apartment and still there was no fire alarm," said Howell.
The KCK Fire Department said they heard the alarm when they pulled up to the scene. They were able to get the fire under control in 30 minutes.
“Of the units affected, three have been relocated to another apartment on other floors in Rosedale Towers,” said Milton Scott, deputy director of the Kansas City, Kansas Housing Authority. “The others are in the process of having the water removed from the carpet and the carpets cleaned and aired out. We are hopeful that they will be able to return to their apartments soon.”
Milton also said that the local Red Cross is also helping tenants by providing food and a $200 voucher for a hotel stay.
41 Action News requested an inspection report from the fire department to learn more about the status of the fire alarms, but the report was not made immediately available.
The fire department says there is $200,000 in damage.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
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Ali Hoxie can be reached at ali.hoxie@kshb.com
