KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A man is recovering in the hospital after he jumped from the third story of a burning building Saturday afternoon.
An apartment complex near the intersection of 9th and Cleveland went up in flames. Fire Chief Paul Berardi said 80 percent of the victim’s body is covered in burns. Fire officials said there are reports of three other people jumping out of the building, but only one needed treatment.
“There were jumpers jumping from the building,” Berardi said. “One person had already jumped from the back of the building and Kansas City Police actually witnessed that.”
Berardi said fire crews arrived on the scene minutes after the call came in. He told FOX 4 the fire most likely started on the third floor of the building and worked its way into the attic.
Charles O’Connell, who lived in the apartment building, said he lost almost everything he owns. He could only salvage a few things on his way out.
“This is just a piece of scrap, a couple of gloves and a hat and some hand lotion,” he said.
The Red Cross stepped in to help. Staff loaded tenants onto a bus to keep them warm and keep their belongings out of the rain. Then, they were shuttled to a hotel in midtown where they will be housed for the next three nights. The Red Cross is also providing money for meals to the tenants. The fire department is still investigating what caused the building to go up in flames.