One person dies in garage explosion at southeast Wichita apartment complex
One person has died in an explosion at a garage in a southeast Wichita apartment complex on Thursday.
Wichita firefighters were called shortly before noon to check on an explosion at the Cedarbrooke Apartments, 8406 E. Harry St., near Rock Road.
The call was upgraded to an apartment fire when a large column of smoke was seen, Wichita Fire Department acting battalion chief Nicholas Woods said at the scene.
Arriving fire units found heavy fire at a five-bay detached garage at the complex.
One person was found dead near the door of the detached garage. That person’s gender and age were unknown at the scene, according to Woods.
No apartments were damaged and no other injuries were reported.
About half the garage collapsed from the explosion.
“There are reports and witness statements of some sort of explosion,” Woods said. “From whether that was a car ... that information we don’t know yet.”
The cause of the fire is being investigated. The Wichita Police Department will take the lead and is being assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Wichita police spokesperson Lt. Aaron Moses said.
This story was originally published April 4, 2024 at 1:36 PM.