1946 – Jan 27, Fire, Winona Apartments and Rooming House, Kansas City, MO       –10-11

Last edit 11-9-2023 by Wayne Blanchard for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–10-11  Blanchard.

We have sought to locate additional deaths (from injuries or found later in the rubble) via a newspaperarchive.com search to no avail. All the newspaper reports we have seen at the time (only three of which we cite) note ten deaths. The National Fire Protection Association notes eleven. We suspect there were ten deaths, but do not know with certainty, thus we take all sources into account by employing the use of a range of 10-11 deaths.

–11  NFPA. “Fatal Housing Fires.” Quarterly of the [NFPA], Vol. 39, No. 4, April, 1946, 273.

–11  National Fire Protection Assoc. Spreadsheet on Large Loss of Life Fires (as of Feb 2003).

–10  Assoc. Press. “Winter Weather Brings Fire Toll.” Sikeston Standard, MO. 1-29-1946, p. 6.

–10  Edwardsville Intelligencer, IL. “Saved in Kansas City Fire.” 1-28-1946, p. 2.

–10  Waukesha Daily Freeman, WI. “Flames Sweep Flats; 25 Dead.” 1-28-1946, p. 1.

Narrative Information

NFPA:  “Kansas City, Mo., Jan. 27, 1946. Eleven persons, including six children, lost their lives in a 5:16 A.M. fire which started in a pantry closet in a first floor apartment and spread through a glass transom to the hallway and up an open stairway to the second and third floors. The three-story masonry and wood building was originally built in the 1890’s as a private residence. Three 14-inch vertical fire escapes had been installed, but delayed alarm prevented escape of trapped persons.  The fire was believed caused by carelessness in the handling and storage of matches.”  (National Fire Protection Association. “Fatal Housing Fires.” Quarterly of the National Fire Protection Association, Vol. 39, No. 4, April, 1946, p. 273.)

Newspapers

Jan 27, AP: “Kansas City, Mo., Jan. 27 (AP) – Ten persons – five children and five adults – burned to death today in a fire that severely damaged the Winona Apartments at 912 Tracy Ave. At least 15 others were treated for injuries or shock. The dead:

Robert O’Dell, 5, son of Mr. and Mrs. Claude O’Dell.

Mrs. Rena Hubbard, 50.

Miss Shirly Hubbard, 15, the daughter of Mrs. Hubbard.

Mrs. Mildred Rupe.

Loretta Rupe, 2, and

Delores Rupe, 5, daughters of Mrs. Rupe.

Charles Kraus, 47.

Mrs. Alice Watkins, 23.

Robert Taber, 4, and

Lorraine Taber [or Traber], 3, son and daughter of Mrs. Watkins.

“….Sixteen fire companies fought the flames which quickly enveloped the three-story building that contained 28 apartments and housed 78 persons. Three persons jumped from windows.” (Associated Press. “Winter Weather Brings Fire Toll.” Sikeston Standard, MO. 1-29-1946, p. 6.)

Jan 28: “Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Barbee, Kansas City, Mo., hold their six month old daughter, Annette in Red Cross emergency headquarters near scene of Kansas City apartment house fire which killed 10 injured 15 [we omit photo]. The baby was thrown from second floor of burning building and caught by Johnny Smith…who also put up pole whereby some of those trapped in the house escaped.” (Edwardsville Intelligencer, IL. “Saved in Kansas City Fire.” 1-28-1946, 2.)

Jan 28: “United Press. At least 25 persons were dead Monday as a result of fires which swept through tenements and apartment houses in New York, Kansas City, Chicago, St. Louis and Skowhegan, Me.  Greatest loss of life was reported at Kansas City, Mo., where 10 persons died in a blaze that swept through a ramshackle, three-story rooming house. Five of the victims were children. The fire, which injured 20 persons and made an additional 50 homeless, started in a clothes closet and quickly spread through the building, trapping 10 of, the victims on the third floor. It was Kansas City’s worst fire disaster in 20 years.”  (Waukesha Daily Freeman. “Flames Sweep Flats; 25 Dead.” 1-28-1946, p. 1.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Winter Weather Brings Fire Toll.” Sikeston Standard, MO. 1-29-1946, p. 6. Accessed 11-9-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/sikeston-standard-jan-29-1946-p-6/

Edwardsville Intelligencer, IL. “Saved in Kansas City Fire.” 1-28-1946, p. 2. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=6277990&sterm=fire+kansas+city

National Fire Protection Association. “Fatal Housing Fires.” Quarterly of the National Fire Protection Association, Vol. 39, No. 4, April, 1946, p. 273.

National Fire Protection Association. Spreadsheet on Large Loss of Life Fires (as of Feb 2003). (Email attachment to B. W. Blanchard from Jacob Ratliff, NFPA Archivist/Taxonomy Librarian, 7-8-2013.)

Waukesha Daily Freeman. “Flames Sweep Flats; 25 Dead.” 1-28-1946, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=5791156&sterm=fire+kansas+city