When citizens call the fire department, they expect a rapid, effective response to one of the worst days of their lives. Unfortunately, the snowy, icy conditions proved too much for one fire truck on its way to an emergency scene in Wyandotte County just outside of Kansas City.  

A Kansas City fire truck slid off an icy road and into a ditch on its way to an emergency call for a barn fire

It’s a bit of an event. Dispatchers get reports of fires, crashes, or other disasters, and pass the news along to firefighters using radios and station tones. The first responders pile into apparatuses and dash to the emergency. However, and tragically so, not every fire truck, engine, quint, or ambulance makes it to the scene.

A Kansas City fire truck heading for a fire in nearby Wyandotte County on Wednesday. The truck lost traction and slid off the road due to icy conditions. It left the road, coming to a stop in a ditch. Fortunately, none of the fire department personnel sustained injuries in the crash. However, the crash stopped the truck dead in its tracks.

The crash kept the fire crew from reaching two fires

However, the truck was unable to immediately get back on the road. The Kansas-based crew was bound for a barn fire in Wyandotte County at the time. Sadly, the first responders weren’t able to make it to the barn fire, and the blaze claimed the lives of three horses. 

Surprisingly, the fire truck was reportedly undamaged by the crash. Krystal McFeders, a spokesperson for the local government, told the media that “no other animals were killed or injured in the fire,” per Yahoo! News. 

Moreover, the fire crew was preparing to respond to a second fire after the barn fire. Fortunately, McFeders reported that the second fire didn’t result in any injuries or fatalities. 

The news comes as the American Midwest contends with snowy, icy roads following Winter Storm Blair. Heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures caused delays, power outages, and road closures across Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky.