January 1, 2021

By Assistant Chief Jim Eden, LSFD

LEE’S SUMMIT, MO – On Friday, January 1, 2021, at 2:46 p.m., the Lee’s Summit Fire Department responded to reported structure fire at America’s Best Value Inn, 1020 SE Blue Parkway. The caller reported smoke in the first floor hallway, possibly coming from a meeting room. The hotel was being evacuated.

When the fire department arrived, there was nothing visible from the outside of the three-story hotel. Crews entered the building and found the building’s automatic fire sprinkler system had activated in the first floor meeting room and extinguished a fire involving a wall mounted heating, ventilation and air conditioning unit (HVAC). Water flow was discontinued from the sprinkler head and the area was checked for fire spread to the wall and second floor. A search of the entire building found a few occupants still in the building that were removed. Crews assisted with smoke removal from the building. The incident was under control by 3:14 p.m.

The fire was contained to the area of the HVAC unit with significant smoke damage to the meeting room, and minor damage to the hallway. The cause of the fire was determined to be a faulty HVAC unit.

Portions of the hotel were able to be reoccupied.