One person killed when fire engulfs mobile home in rural Platte County in KC’s Northland

One person was killed when a fire swept through a mobile home early Tuesday near Riverside in rural Platte County, a spokesman for the Southern Platte Fire Protection District said.

A caller reported the fire shortly before 7 a.m. in the 5900 block of NW 47th Way, said Division Chief Chris Denney with the fire department.

Arriving firefighters found a double-wide trailer engulfed in flames, with about 75% of the home involved in the fire, Denney said.

Fire crews were told that someone was inside. Firefighters entered the home and looked in the bedroom area, but were not able to find the victim. They found the victim in another part of the home and the person was confirmed dead, Denney said.

Initially, there were some water supply issues, but those were resolved quickly, he said. Fire crews, with the help of the Kansas City Fire Department, extinguished the blaze. No other injuries were reported.

The fire marshal with the Southern Platte Fire Protection District will lead the investigation into the cause of the fire, assisted by the Northland Fire Investigation Team and the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office.

It was too early in the investigation to determine what caused the fire and where it started, Denney said.

Although fire investigators had yet to determine whether there were working smoke detectors inside the home, Denney advised people to check their smoke alarms.

“We just changed our clocks, so what are we supposed to do when we change our clocks?” Denney asked. “Change your batteries in your smoke detectors. Twice a year change your batteries in your smoke detectors.”

Those without working smoke detectors should contact their local fire departments to get them replaced.