KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Overland Park Fire Department said 15 people were displaced in a fire at an apartment building in the 6600 block of West 83rd Street.
Dispatchers sent firefighters to the Broadmoor Court Apartments just before midnight with indications some people may be trapped inside the building.
Michele Torres, her 23-year-old daughter and their dog were leaning out of their second-story apartment as smoke filled their unit.
“My little dog, I tossed her out first then my daughter got out the window then I exited the building," Torres said. "I kinda got stuck then I got scared. I asked them to get another ladder and firefighter up there, which they graciously did."
OPFD Battalion Chief John Heffernon said flames broke through the roof, causing it to partially collapse. It took firefighters about two hours to get the fire under control as they were forced to take a defensive approach, fighting the fire from outside not within the building.
OPFD said one firefighter was injured and taken to a hospital, but he is stable. A dog died in the fire.
The building probably will be declared a total loss and 15 people have been displaced from eight units. The local Red Cross is helping 11 people find a place to stay after the fire.
“They (the Red Cross) stepped in to provide a place for us to stay tonight, not that I’m going to get much sleep," Torres said. "This whole thing is surreal. I’ve seen house fires, apartment fires on the news and you never expect that it’s going to be you."
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
