The Mission Bowl fire that occurred two weeks ago this morning did not result in a total loss of the building. “We had a very good outcome,” Fire Chief Tony Lopez of Consolidated Fire District No. 2 said this week in a report on the fire to the City of Mission.
The building is not a complete loss and the owners are even attempting to salvage the bowling lanes, Lopez said. “It was a lot less damage than what it looked like,” Lopez said. On the morning of the fire, April 3, heavy smoke was rolling out of the roof the full length of the building and flames were visible from the upper windows. Firefighters were pouring water into the building from several locations. The style of roof construction commonly used in buildings that require large open spaces also allows the fire to travel quickly, Lopez said.
Reconstruction and recovery crews have secured the building and, Lopez said, are pumping air through it to dry out the interior.
The fire started in the ceiling above the kitchen, the Fire Marshal has determined. “The kitchen hood exhaust fan was found to be damaged, causing the motor to seize,” Lopez said. “Maintenance personnel were in the process of repairing the fan when the fire occurred.” The hood system was cleaned the day before the fire, Lopez noted.
The fire generated a huge response from several fire departments. At one point 50 firefighters and support personnel were on the scene with 10 fire apparatus, eight support vehicles and three ambulances. The first fire unit arrived two and one-half minutes after the call was received at 10:42 a.m. The second alarm was sounded by 10:50 a.m.
The fire was under control by noon and declared out at 1 p.m., Lopez said. Fire crews returned after 5 p.m. to check for hot spots and prevent a rekindle. Units from Leawod, Shawnee and Overland Park were also at the fire.
