Trending Topics

Mayday: Mo. firefighter falls through floor during apartment fire

Kansas City firefighters rescued three residents from a burning apartment in the Independence Plaza neighborhood

By Robert A. Cronkleton
The Kansas City Star

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Firefighters rescued three people, one of whom was taken to the hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation, while battling an apartment fire Wednesday night in Kansas City’s Independence Plaza neighborhood, according to a fire department spokesman.

Firefighters responded shortly after 10 p.m. to the Olive Park Village apartments in the 800 block of Park Avenue, said Battalion Chief Riley Nolan with the Kansas City Fire Department.

| SURVEY: Take the newest What Firefighters Want survey focused on training

Arriving firefighters reported smoke and fire coming from a two-story apartment, Nolan said. Fire crews initiated an offensive fire attack, advancing multiple hose lines to battle the flames.

A firefighter fell through the first floor into the basement and a mayday was called, Nolan said. The firefighter was able to get out of the building on their own and uninjured.

Fire crews searched the apartment building, but found no one else inside.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Kansas City’s dangerous building division was requested to respond to the scene, Nolan said.

This special coverage series focuses on mayday training, preparing members at all ranks for what they could face on the fireground or incident scene. Specifically, the coverage addresses how to develop a culture of mayday training, introduces basic RIT training for rookies, details advanced scenario-based training, and offers simple steps to help build muscle memory.
Trending
Conquer stressful calls, identify treatment challenges and pitfalls, and use technology to its best potential to save lives this summer and beyond
Fire crews battled large wildfires in Broward and Miami-Dade counties as smoke reduced visibility, forced road closures
The Bangor Fire Department’s EMS-only pilot program is aimed at handling a rising EMS call volume while keeping firefighters available for fire responses
The settlement tied to Jason Arno’s 2023 line-of-duty death is the largest involving the Buffalo Fire Department and follows a report citing missed mayday calls, poor accountability and equipment issues

©2026 The Kansas City Star.
Visit kansascity.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Company News
The Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program awarded 150 volunteer fire departments $10,000 grants for equipment to improve firefighter safety, emergency response and community preparedness