A three-alarm fire engulfed a furniture store on Southwest Boulevard near downtown Kansas City Tuesday afternoon spewing a haze over the skyline visible for miles.
“I was like ‘oh my goodness’ that’s a big fire,” said Reymond Thevo, who saw the fire a couple blocks away.
Ambulances headed to the scene just before 3 p.m. as flames took hold at Friday's Only Furniture Outlet, located at 2915 Southwest Boulevard in KCMO.
KCFD initially reported at least two injuries, but department reports have since varied. KCFD Fire Chief Paul Berardi said there was nobody in the building at the time the fire started.
Fire crews are on the tops of multiple buildings working to put out this fire. @41actionnews pic.twitter.com/KQNhEVnTXC
— Steven Dial (@StevenDialTV) June 20, 2017
As of about 8 p.m. Kansas City Fire Department Chief Paul Berardi, says crews were still maintaining a collapse zone of 150 feet around the building. Beradi says four to six companies will remain on the scene.
Crews are continuing to pour water on the warehouse. @KCMOFireChief says 4-6 companies & a Battalion Chief will stay on scene @41actionnews pic.twitter.com/EfNtXBYIOU
— Ariel Rothfield KSHB (@arothfield) June 21, 2017
No injuries have been reported so far.
Traffic impact
Cars were slowing on nearby roadways to watch the thick smoke and flames, particularly on an already-busy I-35 just ahead of the Tuesday evening commute. With traffic congestion building in the area, MoDOT advised commuters to avoid the area.
With roughly 90 firefighters and 31 trucks on scene, plus medical staff and other first responders, crews took a defensive stance. When crews arrived at the scene they immediately realized they could not enter the building, according to Battalion Chief Kevin Hunt. Berardi voiced concern that the fire might cause the building to collapse.
“It looked like it moved to the second floor and then you saw the big plume of black smoke again and then onto the first floor,” said Berardi, during a press conference. “This is definitely a high-fire load with furniture, boxed furniture.”
ICYMI: here's a look at what the #SWBlvdFire initially looked like. I'll have the latest details on @41actionnews at 10 pic.twitter.com/wb4ZY7z7nh
— Ariel Rothfield KSHB (@arothfield) June 21, 2017
Hunt said they are working to make sure the firefighters stay hydrated and that crews are being cycled out about every 20 minutes.
How did the fire start?
The fire appears to have started on the third story, according to Kansas City fire officials. It has since spread down to the second story, with plenty of furniture and other flammables inside to keep it going for hours, one official said.
The fire's impact
The building is directly adjacent to a lumber yard. Crews temporarily shut down the boulevard to traffic between 25th and 29th Streets on Tuesday.
Here's an even clos r look at the fire @41actionnews pic.twitter.com/6FKa1GTPjv
— Ariel Rothfield KSHB (@arothfield) June 20, 2017
The cloud of smoke trailed across the city for miles, easily visible on weather radar.
Nearby business owners like Miguel Cerros, who owns Miguelito's Barber Shop, said, "Rapid fire just started going off like crazy. You could hear little explosions."
Cerros praised the quick response and work of KCFD to get the fire under control. His next door neighbor, Dana Peterman, who owns Mixing Bowl Noshery, echoed the same.
"I can't imagine what those firemen do. I can't imagine what's in their minds. I honestly can't. I witnessed more heroic acts today than I've ever seen," Peterman stressed. "There may not have been lives at jeopardy but their lives were in jeopardy. "
In January, Peterman lost her restaurant in a fire. She just reopened across from the business that burned Tuesday two weeks ago. After she lost everything, Peterman says other business owners stepped up to help her with whatever she needed. She plans to do the same for the owner of the businesses affected now.
As for the crews who worked to stop the flames, Peterman said, "The firemen and the officers that were down here today, Kansas City's finest. Kansas City's finest no matter what, period."
About the building
The building is owned by Peter Sidney Ehinger Trust.
41 Action News spoke to the father of the family that operates the trust, Bob Ehinger.
Their officers are down the street. The family bought the building in 200 and made improvements to the roof and interior.
About a year after buying the building, they signed a lease with Friday's Furniture Outlet.
The family is self-insured on the building, a family spokesperson said.
