Careless discard of smoking materials cited as cause for OP apartment fire which left woman in critical condition

Posted: February 24, 2020 - 10:42 p.m.
Updated: February 25, 2020 - 11:54 a.m.

A woman in her 40s is in critical condition after she was rescued from an apartment fire near 87th Street and Grant on Monday evening. On Tuesday, fire investigators announced that the fire was caused by careless smoking.

Overland Park and Lenexa firefighters brought the fire under control in about 10 minutes
Click photos to view larger
All photos ©Mike Frizzell - Operation 100 News

Firefighters from Overland Park and Lenexa were called to the Four Seasons Apartments at 9510 West 87th Street just before 9 p.m.

Overland Park Police were first to arrive on the scene and reported smoke coming from a second-floor apartment. A neighbor told police that they had not seen the woman who lives in the apartment. An officer was able to get into the apartment but was forced back outside by the smoke.

Firefighters were able to rescue the woman from the apartment a short time later. She was transported to the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas where she is said to be in critical condition.

Johnson County Med-Act Paramedics and Overland Park Firefighters
rushed the woman to a waiting ambulance.

Overland Park Fire Department Media Manager Jason Rhodes says firefighters had the fire under control within 10 minutes. The damage was contained to the apartment where the fire started.

Johnson County Med-Act transported the police sergeant who initially tried to rescue the woman from her apartment. Rhodes says the sergeant is being treated for "minor smoke inhalation." No other injuries were reported.

A Lenexa firefighter uses a ladder to access the second-floor
apartment where the fire and victim were both found.

Fire investigators say the fire was accidental, caused by careless discard of smoking materials. No working smoke detectors were found in the victim's apartment.

"If you need assistance with smoke alarms, contact you local fire department," Rhodes said. "Additionally, smoking materials should always be completely extinguished in sand or water before discarding."

The Red Cross is assisting two adults and three children who were displaced by the fire.

Scene video provided by the Overland Park Fire Department

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