KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Kansas City firefighters worked to remove smoke from Union Station after flames broke out on the roof of Science City.
The fire billowed from the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) unit around 7:45 a.m. on Nov. 22.
The Union Station caller said black smoke poured out of the lower levels and HVAC system. Firefighters were able to find, isolate, and put out the fire fairly quickly but the smoke is an issue as Union Station sets to open its Holiday Reflections exhibit today and welcome hundreds of school children on tour.
Due to the enormity of the building, Fire Batallion Chief Hopkins called this an “enormous undertaking.”
Building maintenance removed a window on an upper floor and used high-powered fans to create positive pressure and remove the smoke.
George Guastello, President and CEO of Union Station told KCTV5 that they prepare for these things and he’s thankful fire crews worked quickly to get everything cleared just in time for the students.
“We made some modifications for the school groups as we open at 10 am,” Guastello said. “They will be taken care of and will have a great experience at Science City. They will be entering our organization from the front of the building, so our team is ready to handle all of that. Everything is open and ready to go.”
The Extreme Screens showtimes of Christmas Vacation at 12:30 pm and 4:00 pm today were canceled after the interior lobby and back-of-house areas experienced some water damage from the incident. Union Station said it plans to reopen for the 7:30 pm showtime.
Visitors can watch for updates here.
To get the latest news sent to your phone, download the KCTV5 News app here.
Copyright 2024 KCTV. All rights reserved.
This post was originally published on here
