Two firefighters hurt, one seriously, after a massive grass blaze near Buckner
Two firefighters were hurt, one seriously, after a small fire in a shed blossomed into a large blaze spanning 15 acres and surrounded one of the responding crews, according to a statement from the Fort Osage Fire Protection District released Friday night.
The call for service went out shortly after 2:15 p.m. near a residence in the 3100 block of Blue Mills Road just north of Buckner. Fort Osage responded initially before calling in neighboring departments for additional service as the fire had spread across 2 or 3 acres of land.
As firefighters worked to extinguish the flames, the fire widened further when a field across Blue Mills Road lit up. At one point, a Fort Osage crew that was using a brush truck — a small fire-fighting rig used specifically for small brush fires — became surrounded by heavy smoke and its occupants were forced to evacuate.
Other first-responders came to their aid as a mayday call was issued while they attempted to escape.
Both of the truck’s occupants were transported by ambulance to the hospital. The truck they were in was destroyed.
Fort Osage reports that the fire spread across nearly 15 acres, destroying several small outbuildings. It was brought under control by 4 p.m., though firefighters remained on scene several hours afterward to ensure the fire was extinguished.
The cause of the fire was being investigated by the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Earlier Friday, the National Weather Service reported a prediction of high winds through the weekend for the Kansas City metropolitan area. The agency’s warning included an increased risk for fires.
