Updated Wednesday, Sept. 2:

Lenexa Fire officials say an apartment fire on Tuesday morning started when a resident left “combustible materials” on a stovetop.

The fire at The Meadows complex near 77th and Quivira displaced nine residents, with emergency responders making multiple rescues on the scene.

“This fire did not have to happen,” said Assistant Chief Butch Diekemper, in a press release from the city later Tuesday afternoon.

“Taking a few seconds to clear the stovetop and maintain a three-foot safety zone can prevent a fire from starting in the first place. Whether you own, rent, or are temporarily staying in a home, never use your stovetop for storage,” he said.

Original story continues below: 

Eight adults, a child, two cats and a dog lost their homes after an apartment building fire displaced them early Tuesday morning in Lenexa.

Lenexa and Shawnee firefighters, alongside Johnson County Med-Act, responded to a fire at 5:35 a.m. at The Meadows Apartment Homes in the 12000 block of West 77th Street, according to a Lenexa city news release.

The first fire engine arrived five minutes later to find an active fire in one of the building’s six apartment units, according to the release.

During the early stages, Lenexa Police officers evacuated two occupants, and fire crews later helped two more escape down a ladder from an upper story window.

A fifth occupant was carried outside from a second-floor unit, assessed on site and then transported to AdventHealth Shawnee Mission for further treatment, according to the release. The patient has been released.

The fire was fully under control at 6:13 a.m., after crews pulled possessions from inside the unit.

At least one firefighter got hurt with a minor knee injury.

The American Red Cross provided immediate relocation assistance.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and total damage estimates are pending.