The Westport Presbyterian Church – founded in 1835 – has met at 40th and Westport Road since 1903—after a fire forced their relocation there. The two-alarm blaze broke out around 5:30 yesterday evening.
Kansas City Fire Department’s Joe Vitale …ensuring neighboring structures were protected as some like Pamela Spencer had to flee her office. Everyone did make it out safely as word spread as quickly as the flames.
Also on the scene KC Fire Captain Louie Martin, who after five decades, was working his last shift.
Ray Read contributed to this report.