GRANDVIEW, Mo. — A fire captain suffered second-degree burns after making a mayday call while battling a fatal fire Monday morning.
KCTV reported that when crews arrived on the scene of the apartment fire, heavy fire and smoke could be seen coming from the building on the second floor. Firefighters, with the Grandview (Mo.) Fire Department, heard people yelling for help and made entry through the front door. Crews managed to get three people out safely.
After firefighters were out of the building, they were going through the rest of the second-floor apartment when part of the ceiling collapsed, trapping firefighters. Those firefighters made their way out of a window to safety. The fire captain, who called for help while putting out the fire, was rescued and taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
“The problem is, once all that sheetrock comes down, it allows the fire to spread up into the ceiling area,” Chief Ron Graham said.
One tenant died in the fire and has not yet been identified.
Firefighters said there were working smoke detectors in the building.