Crews Battle Huge Fire Near Jazz District

KMBC.com

KANSAS CITY, Mo.

-- It took more than two hours for crews to put out a massive fire near Kansas City's Jazz District Friday afternoon.

"Tons of smoke just coming out everywhere. It was crazy," a witness said.

A vacant printing plant at East Truman Road and Vine Street was destroyed in the blaze. A giant plume of black smoke could be seen for miles away.

"It was definitely almost overwhelming," another witness said.

Kansas City police said they considered shutting down part of Interstate 70 because the smoke was so thick, but luckily, the breeze carried it in a different direction.

When firefighters first arrived, they tried battling the blaze from the inside. Instead, they had to back out and drowned the flames with water from the outside.

"Within 15 or 20 minutes, it was out of control," said Gene Krahenbuhl, who works at neighboring business All Seasons Car Wash. "It's a huge fire."

The building was once home to Richardson Printing Company, before they moved away in 2004.

Lynn Richardson, whose grandfather started the business, said she thinks old equipment remained inside the building.

"I'm thinking all of the stuff that's on fire in there is old ink on the old presses," she told KMBC.

The flames and thick smoke continued into the evening hours.

"Every time it looked like they were getting it under control, it was back up again," a witness said.

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One firefighter was taken to a hospital for exhaustion. No other injuries were reported.

The blaze was frightening for neighboring business owners.

"We had a police officer that was coming through getting his car washed, and he went over to the building to check it and he immediately blocked traffic and got the fire department on the way," said Gene Krahenbuhl with All Seasons Car Wash.

Krahenbuhl was concerned the flames would hop over Vine Street and hit his car wash. That didn't happen, but the heavy smoke did affect him and his workers.

Krahenbuhl said he thinks homeless people were staying inside the old building.

"I know that it's been pillaged for the copper, so people know how to get in to have a place to stay," Krahenbuhl said.

For a while, the entire Truman and Paseo area was closed to traffic.

EPA spokesman David Bryan said the smoke would only pose a problem to people with respiratory disorders.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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