Over the past week we here in the Kansas City Metro have been confronted with a life and death problem. Not only the deadly heat wave that appears to have taken its 12th life today, but deadly apartment fires. Last week there was one in Shawnee, one in Lenexa (1 dead) 36 units destroyed, Mission (2 dead) 6 units destroyed, KCMO just today. There are more but that is just a few that I know people who live in the complex.
As a stupid child (about 9) I had decided to hide the fact I was reading after lights out one night. I had wrapped toilet paper around the light bulb around the light, I remember it was blue, now days you don't find colored tp much. It worked for a few minutes then started to smolder. To make matters worse I had the lamp on my bed so I could read in the dim light. As the toilet paper caught fire it burnt through the shade. I calmly picked up the ceramic part of my lamp and placed it on the marble top of my night stand. Being more terrified of the beating I would get from my father than the fire I tried to sneak into the bathroom and get a cup of water. I was caught but he didn't see the fire. I said I was choking and got the glass of water and poured it on the electrical fire. I guess I had some grace coming to me and it didn't cause the fire to get worse. It was over I hid the evidence and went to sleep. After that I had a great respect for fire.
None of these fires has been traced to its cause. It is taking a while for the investigations. I can't imagine going to work one day and driving up to my building being burnt down. All I know is most of these buildings are older and their residents have to run their air 24/7 to cool off from this weather.
http://www.nbcactionnews.com/...
http://www.kansascity.com/...
http://www.kansascity.com/...
http://www.nbcactionnews.com/...
http://www.kansascity.com/...
http://wyandottecounty.fox4kc.com/...
Please remember these people.