UPDATE: APRIL 8, 10:45A.M. -A person in a nearby playground called 911 about 8:20 reporting smoke coming from the apartment building.
It happened in a building at the Magnolia Parc apartment complex off of 80th Street in Overland Park.
Residents say they are grateful to whoever made that call, and feel lucky to have made it out safely.
Oswaldo Romero says he was still asleep in his second floor apartment when his son woke him up.
“My son comes into the room and screams daddy there’s fire trucks,” said Romero.
Romero looked out the window and saw several trucks, and then smoke began seeping into his apartment. The father of two sprang into action. Getting his wife, two children and two nephews who had stayed the night. The family escaped safely but Romero says his kids were very upset and very cold.
“Bunch of smoke comes in and then what I do is I just get my kids and we have no jackets, no nothing. It was pretty scary, thank God everything is okay,” said Romero.
Firefighters rescued 11 people from the building, several were trapped on their balconies.
One person was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation.
Kevin Miller says he was also treated for smoke inhalation at the scene.
“I have asthma so i was in the ambulance for a little bit, those guys were a little worried about me,” said Miller.
Miller says he was awake when the fire started and had just gotten back to his place after going out to get coffee and donuts. He says he was watching TV when he noticed smoke coming in through his front door. He crawled out the window of his ground floor apartment.
“I’m just glad to be alive,” said Miller.
Fire damage was isolated to the apartment of origin, and the above apartment, but no cause has been released. All units in the building have some level of smoke damage.
About 20 people have been displaced.
Several residents say they have family in the area to stay with.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Both Overland Park and Lenexa crews responded to the fire, and say some smoke detectors could be heard in some units, but not all of them.
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - Eleven people were rescued from an Overland Park apartment building fire early Sunday morning.
Crews were called to the Magnolia Parc apartments at 10209 W. 80th Street just before 8:30 a.m.
Firefighters reported heavy smoke from the three story building on arrival, and quickly called a second alarm.
Eleven people were rescued from their apartments, including several from balconies.
One person was transported to an area hospital with minor injuries.
No word on what caused the fire, or how many units were damaged.
The investigation continues.
