Yet another early morning fire tore through the vacant Olive Park Apartments in northeast Kansas City on Tuesday, sending smoke and flames over the long-troubled complex as firefighters scrambled to contain the damage. Multiple Kansas City Fire Department units trained hoses on the buildings and checked surrounding structures while working a property that has sat empty since residents were moved out earlier this year amid federal and city enforcement actions.
According to KCTV, crews arrived early Tuesday and were actively fighting the blaze across several buildings. The station's footage shows firefighters moving between structures under flashing emergency lights as smoke billows above the block.
A History of Repeated Blazes
This is far from the first time Olive Park has gone up in flames this year, a pattern that has rattled neighbors and first responders. As KSHB reported in April, the Kansas City Fire Department had already responded to at least 15 fires at Olive Park Village by late April. Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins warned that the decaying buildings make every response more dangerous for firefighters.
Earlier incidents at the complex have already put both residents and firefighters in harm's way. The Kansas City Star documented a March call where crews rescued occupants while a firefighter fell through a weakened floor during an interior search. Those close calls pushed the city's Dangerous Buildings division to repeatedly inspect the property and condemn the worst units.
City and Federal Action
The complex was emptied after federal and city officials determined conditions were unsafe, and HUD abated its housing contract while the city coordinated relocations earlier this year. Councilwoman Melissa Patterson Hazley said in a city release via City of Kansas City, "I’m proud of the coordinated response that put residents first and ensured families were supported with care, dignity, and urgency during this transition."
Officials Say Owners Must Secure the Property
City officials have ordered the owner to secure, fence and, if necessary, demolish unsafe buildings, warning they will intervene and recover costs if the owner fails to act. Sherae Honeycutt, a city spokeswoman, has called the recurring fires "frustrating" and said stabilizing the site is a public-safety priority, according to KSHB.
Investigation
The cause of Tuesday's blaze had not been released in the initial reports, and investigators were expected to return to the scene to sort through the latest damage. Past fires at Olive Park have at times brought in the Kansas City Police Department Bomb and Arson unit, and the Kansas City Fire Department has said many of the incidents remained undetermined after investigation, as reported by KSHB.
Neighbors and former residents say they would rather see the property rebuilt as safe, stable housing instead of serving as a repeat backdrop for fire trucks and evacuations, according to KSHB. We will update this piece as officials release damage assessments or findings from the investigation.
