KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Before the clock hit noon on Monday, firefighters in Kansas City, Kansas, had already responded to three different fires.
It started with a recycling center fire on 88th St. around 7:45 a.m. Just an hour later, firefighters were called to a house fire on 25th St. that displaced a family of four. One firefighter sustained minor injuries on the scene.
Around 11 a.m., firefighters battled yet another blaze at a home on 43rd St.
"We took a little bit of a beating there initially because we were so spread out right now with all these fires going on at the same time," KCK Battalion Chief Bryan Hendin said.
Heather Gilbert and Robbie Ortiz were driving by when they saw smoke on 43rd St. Before first responders got to the scene, they ran up to the house to see if anyone was inside.
"Everything started exploding and popping, so we had to fall back," Gilbert said.
Once firefighters arrived, the flames weren't the only thing they had to battle.
"It gets really hard to fight the fire because we have to fight against the wind, plus it adds more oxygen to the fire," Hendin explained.
Dry leaves also created a risk of fires spreading. Luckily, firefighters were able to extinguish all three fires without damage to surrounding buildings and homes.
Because of dry, windy conditions like those experienced Monday, it is illegal to burn leaves in KCK after Nov. 15. The burn permit season will reopen in April.
By the end of the day Monday, there were six fires in KCK.
