Independence Towers residents displaced after fire Monday, following tenant complaints
Residents of several dozen units at Independence Towers were displaced early Monday morning after a fire damaged the building.
Eric Michel, Battalion Chief of Fire Prevention in Independence, said tenants in 27 apartments were evacuated due to smoke and fire damage to three floors of the building.
Fire officials responded to the multi-story apartment building around 4:15 a.m., and discovered heavy smoke and fire in a second floor apartment. The fire was contained to one apartment and was put out quickly, according to Michel.
No injuries were reported.
Earlier this year, residents of Independence Towers joined KC Tenants, a tenant union, complaining of cockroaches, mice and other pests. In the summer, they said there’s frequently no air conditioning, and in the winter, no heating. Tenants who spoke to The Star at that time said that described some of the poor living conditions they had endured at the apartment building located at 728 Jennings Road.
At that point, Independence Towers was being managed by Tango Management, which is owned by FTW Investments, a company which also managed a complex which The Star reported on in Jan. 2023 for leaving tenants for days without heat in the winter.
On May 16, a Jackson County judge appointed property management company Trigild Inc. as receiver of the property, after FTW Investments allegedly failed to pay back Fannie Mae for the loan and maintaining the building according to their loan agreement.
A joint investigation into Monday’s fire by Independence Fire, Independence Police and the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office is ongoing. The cause of the fire is not yet known.
The Red Cross is helping those affected find temporary housing. The Independence Tower leasing office refused to comment to The Star, saying they didn’t have permission to be discussing the incident.
