OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Crews were dispatched to the 5200 block W. 121st Street for a two-alarm fire Sunday evening that caused significant damage to a duplex. The incident was eventually upgraded to a three-alarm fire and OPFD spokesman Jason Rhodes said it reportedly started as a deck fire caused by a grill. The fire eventually extended to the roof of the duplex.
The fire forced responding crews to fight it defensively from the exterior of the home as the roof began to collapse. Crews re-entered the structure after fighting defensively for 20 minutes and it took nearly an hour to fully extinguish.
Southwest winds spread embers to a neighboring home, but that fire was kept under control and extinguished quickly.
No firefighters or home occupants were injured in the blaze. The third alarm was utilized for manpower purposes due to the excessive heat according to the fire department. While it is believed that the fire was started by a grill on the deck, the cause remains under investigation.
