Apartment blaze injures 2 residents, 2 firefighters - KCTV5

A three-alarm apartment fire injured two residents as well as two firefighters.

The Kansas City Fire Department has declined to release information on the extent of the residents' injuries. One of the injured is a woman. Both residents suffered smoke inhalation.

One firefighter suffered heat exhaustion while a second firefighter suffered a dislocated joint.

The fire broke out about 11:45 p.m. Thursday at 619 Prospect Ave., just south of Independence Avenue in the old Northeast area of Kansas City. 

The bottom floor contained businesses while residents lived on upper floors. The Kansas City area chapter of the American Red Cross is assisting residents.

Residents described the thick smoke and flames as residents went door to door knocking on doors to alert people.

Battalion Chief James Garrett said firefighters worked hard to get the fire under control. Most of the damage was contained to the interior.

A cause has not been released. The blaze started on the first floor.

The building's owner does not have insurance to repair the building.

A little girl was killed at the same location in May 2010. The girl was the building owner's granddaughter. The child's parents and younger sister were hurt in that fire.

Jacques Mwamba is a shop owner and he is unsure about his future.

"I don't know what to do," he said. "I don't know where to start."

Mwamba moved to Kansas City as a refugee from Congo. He uses the income from his shop to support his children and send them to school, but he doesn't have the money to rebuild.

Building owner Helen Eshnaur said patching up the roof and boarding up the damaged interior is a priority now. She too doesn't know about building.

But she is so relieved knowing how different the outcome was in 2010.

"I'm just glad everybody got out," she said.

City officials said Eshnaur is cooperating with investigators.

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