UPDATE: Fire that injured several in Kansas City now a criminal investigation

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - The ATF says a fire that injured several people, including children, is now a criminal investigation.

There’s evidence that indicates the fire was set on purpose, according to a Friday afternoon update from the ATF.

ORIGINAL STORY

Kansas City firefighters rescued 15 people from an apartment fire early Friday morning, including nine children. Several people were seriously injured, though.

Crews responded at 12:30 a.m. to a call of a fire at an east-side three-story apartment building on East 42nd Street east of Pittman Road. According to the Kansas City Fire Department, firefighters immediately started pulling people from the active fire scene, including several people from a second-story balcony.

The fire department said that among those rescued were around nine children and six adults. Two children were critically injured, while five adults were seriously injured. A total of 15 people were hospitalized with ailments ranging from smoke inhalation to serious burns, according to the fire department.

ATF spokesman John Ham said the work of the Kansas City Fire Department prevented the flames from spreading to other buildings and that the incident could have been much worse, considering the strength of the wind at the time.

Ham said there were smoke detectors in the building but it was unclear if they were working.

The American Red Cross was on the scene assisting those who were displaced. It’s not clear yet how many people lost their homes.

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