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KCFD: Faulty fireplace flue caused fire that killed a teen girl

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Posted at 9:46 PM, Dec 08, 2019
and last updated 2019-12-08 23:57:24-05

KANSAS CITY, Mo — Loved ones of a 16-year-old girl who died at a Northeast Kansas City house fire came back to the scene Sunday to put up a memorial. They placed it right next to a second floor window, the same one firefighters pulled her from.

Those crews fought a wall of smoke as they searched for the girl, who they knew was in trouble, within moments of their arrival Saturday morning.

"There's a victim trapped, second floor, according to the parents. I'm running upstairs to make a rescue right now," a firefighter said on dispatch audio captured on Broadcastify.com.

At this point in the investigation, KCFD is labeling this fire accidental and said it began because of a bad fireplace flue.

Neighbor Javier Garcia and his family watched the rescue efforts.

"I saw everybody get out so I didn't think nobody else was in there,” Garcia said. “That's what everybody thought.”

Almost 30 minutes into the operation, firefighters found the 16-year-old girl.

"You could tell she was dead,” Garcia said. “She had smoke all over and everything and I felt bad for her.”

Although paramedics tried to revive her, the girl died at the scene.

Neighbors said the girl, originally from Honduras, was a new face on the block.

"Everybody was surprised, shocked even the mom especially she [was] over there crying a lot," Garcia said.