iStock/Thinkstock(OVERLAND PARK, Kan.) — An eight-alarm fire that began at an unoccupied apartment complex in Kansas on Monday injured three firefighters and destroyed multiple homes, according to emergency officials.
The fire broke out at an apartment complex under construction in Overland Park, Kansas at around 3:30 p.m. Monday before quickly spreading to several homes nearby, Fire Department Chief Bryan Dehner said Monday evening.
At least 17 homes were affected by fire in the incident, but “there may be some other damage out there,” Dehner said while speaking at a press conference.
He described their conditions as a “mixed bag” of damaged and destroyed.
Officials said the blaze was extinguished Tuesday morning and that crews were looking for hot spots and putting out any flames that may be buried under debris.
Three firefighters were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries but appear to be doing well officials said early Tuesday.
Much of the damage to the homes was caused by heat exposure and flying embers, according to Overland Park Fire Department spokesman Jason Rhodes, who described the scene as “a bit of a war zone” on Monday.
He said the fire was intensified by winds, which pushed fire embers south.
The cause of the fire was not immediately clear, but a spokesperson on Tuesday said investigators will look to see if anything in the construction process could have sparked the blaze.
Officials said about 40 fire personnel from different state and federal agencies will come in to inspect the homes that were impacted.
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