OVERLAND PARK, Kan. –- Fire officials say an accident caused a massive fire that began Monday afternoon at the construction site for City Place apartments and spread to a nearby neighborhood.
FOX 4 uncovered evidence on Tuesday that we believe shows how the fire started. These pictures may mark the moment the fire started and reveal the cause of the fire:
The photos were taken from surveillance footage at City Place apartments on Monday. At 3 p.m., you can see a person crouched down on a balcony of the building that was leveled in the fire. The truck parked below appears to be carrying welding equipment.
In the second photo, taken 27 minutes later, you can see fire on the balcony, and the truck is gone.
While fire officials would not comment on these photos other than to say they are aware of them, sources close to the investigation tell FOX 4’s Shannon O’Brien that there is nothing nefarious about the photos or the person in them.
The figure on the balcony is a construction worker who was supposed to be there. He was welding metal plates and the result of that, sources say, could very well be what caused the fire that destroyed one apartment building, damaged another and caused at least 25 neighboring homes to catch fire.
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On Tuesday afternoon, Titan Built, LLC released this statement about the fire:
We are deeply saddened by the circumstances of yesterday’s fire at CityPlace. Our dedicated team has worked diligently on construction of the development, and were heartbroken by the destruction on the property and in the adjacent neighborhoods.
Our primary concern is for the health and welfare of employees and the surrounding neighbors. We are very grateful for the heroic efforts of the various fire departments that responded to the situation.
Titan Built has meticulous safety protocols in place; in our 42 year history, we have never experienced an incident such as this. We are closely working with the Fire Department and actively participating in the investigation to determine the cause, all toward implementing preventative processes in the future.
