Just after 9:00pm on May 10, 2024, Excelsior Springs Fire Department emergency services rushed to a fire at the old Isley School, located at 111 Ash Street. The fire, which erupted behind the school building, was started when workers, renovating the building into a private residence, inadvertently ignited materials under electrical lines.
Workers at the site explained that the materials set ablaze had been removed from the school as part of the ongoing renovation efforts. Unfortunately, the fire was started without a required permit, a violation of local and international fire codes that regulate open burning.
According to the 2018 International Fire Code, an operational permit must be obtained for any open burning on public or private grounds, with strict adherence to the permit’s instructions and conditions. Additionally, the fire code grants officials the authority to extinguish any open burn that creates a hazardous situation or is conducted without a permit.
The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. Police also responded but it is unknown whether a citation was written.
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