One person died in a fire at 8:50 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 6, at 228 N. 35th St., Kansas City, Kansas. It is believed to be the first fire fatality of the year in Kansas City, Kansas.
According to Assistant Chief Morris Letcher, spokesman for the Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department, when firefighters arrived, they found the house fully engulfed in flames.
Defensive firefighting tactics were used because of the risk of a collapse of the structure, he said. After the structure collapsed, the fire was knocked down, he added.
The victim is believed to be a woman, and at this time, an effort is being made to identify the victim, he said. One other resident of the home was outdoors at the time of the fire and survived.
Letcher said one firefighter had a minor leg injury and was transported to the hospital.
Additionally, a pet perished in the fire, he said.
The home was in a hilly area, at the bottom of a hill. The freezing mist creating icy conditions in some areas did not have as much of an effect on this fire as having to get the water source from about a block away, Letcher said.
He said the cause of the fire has not yet been determined and is under investigation.
The house was a total loss, with the dollar amount of loss to be determined later, he said.
