Crews extinguish fire below 71 Highway near downtown KCMO

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Firefighters in Kansas City, Missouri, put out a fire underneath 71 Highway near 22nd Street early Friday morning.

The fire department said a person driving on the highway reported seeing smoke. The location of the fire, under a bridge and alongside train tracks created a challenge for firefighters to gain access and extinguish the fire.

Eventually, the fire department parked pumper trucks on 71 Highway and used a ladder to climb down below the bridge. One firefighter fed a hose from the truck over the edge of the bridge to firefighters below.

After about 45 minutes, crews extinguished the fire. The department believes the fire started in a pile of trash.

There were no reports of injury or road closures associated with the fire.