KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department responded to two separate structure fires within a 12-hour period — both of them resulting in serious firefighter injuries.
Iker Valencia's family woke up early Monday to the sound of sirens. The house next door was burning.
“It was just shocking, to be honest,” Valencia said. “First, we got worried about it because we didn't know if anybody got hurt.”
By Monday afternoon, he learned his family's concerns were real — four firefighters were injured while fighting the fire at 5801 Parallel Parkway.
A KCKFD spokesperson said firefighters were dispatched around 3:38 a.m.
When the first crews arrived, they found flames rolling from the house. They went inside to put out the fire, but the first floor collapsed, and four firefighters fell into the basement.
KCK Fire Chief Dennis L. Rubin spent his morning at the hospital, checking on the firefighters and making sure their families were well taken care of.
“They've been transported to local hospitals and will probably be released in the next couple of days,” Rubin said. “I hope that they can get back on the playing field when they're ready. I hope they can return without any psychological issues.”
According to KCKFD, two firefighters were treated and released, while two others remain in the hospital for more care, evaluation, and observation.
Rubin says injuries are part of the profession, but the department works hard to prevent them.
“We put a lot of emphasis on making sure that our people are properly taken care of,” he said.
Bobbie Lane lives across the street from where the firefighters were hurt.
“Anytime you have someone in public service like that get injured or hurt, it's always a concern for me,” Lane said. “It is scary.”
Signs of the damage caused by the fire were still visible Monday evening. The smell of smoke lingered, and icicles formed inside the house’s basement.
“Firefighters were covered in ice pretty much from head to toe,” Rubin said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
“This building has been vacant for a while," Rubin said. "Sometimes people use vacant buildings for shelter. We understand that, but we hope they don't use warming fires."
Neighbors say they've seen people go inside.
“We saw people walking in sometimes,” Valencia said.
But they hope better days are ahead for the property.
“Try to restore it," Lane said. "You know, it could be a nice home for someone. It's got a nice big yard and a nice driveway."
The other fire where a firefighter was hurt happened about 5:10 p.m. Sunday on Sunshine Road.
A KCK Fire Department news release stated the fire "involved a large storage warehouse containing a finished product."
One firefighter was hurt and transported to a local hospital, where they remain under observation.
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