Kansas City authorities investigating
A house fire in Platte County last week claimed the lives of three children.
Two of the children died the day of the fire and a third died Monday from injuries sustained in the fire.
The blaze was at a single family home located at 7212 N. Avalon, Kansas City in Platte County, located just off 72nd Street in the Platte Woods area.
The Kansas City Police Department and the Kansas City Fire Department responded to the fire, which occurred shortly after 11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 14. Firefighters said they were met by one victim at the door.
Five fire trucks arrived on scene as smoke and flames were showing and firefighters received reports of people trapped inside.
Of the five persons inside, three were sent to children’s hospitals, fire officials said. In addition to the three fatalities, authorities said another was critically injured and a another was listed in stable condition a day after the incident.
A neighbor told the Kansas City Star that she was working from home when she heard a loud pop that sounded like a tire exploding. She looked out the window to see smoke coming from the house, and by the time she got outside flames were shooting out parts of the split-level house and garage, the neighbor told the Star.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, Kansas City police indicated on Thursday.
Police and fire officials did not immediately identify victims but on Friday the Park Hill School District announced that one of those killed in the fire was Chace Freeman. Chace would have been a fifth grader at Prairie Point Elementary School in the Park Hill District this fall.
Park Hill’s announcement described Chace as “a passionate, energetic student who was fun to be around. He worked hard at school and he was proud when he made big improvements. He loved to visit with his teachers about his life, including how much he enjoyed playing football.”
The other two fatalities have been identified as Achilles Hardy, age 4, who died Monday; and Maxwell Hardy, age 3.