Smithville Strip Mall Blaze: Firefighters Battle Inferno

0:00It's March 30th. You're listening to Kansas News today, AI-powered local news. I'm Corey with the story. Firefighters from multiple departments rush to a Smithfield strip mall Monday afternoon to fight a raging blaze that torched several businesses. US Highway 169 is closed both directions at Main Street with traffic rerouted around the chaos. Ladder trucks from Smithfield and Kansas City blasted water into the Inferno, but spots like a pizza shop, Chinese restaurant, Mexican eatery, H&R, block office, and others suffered heavy fire and smoke damage. No one got hurt and all the folks inside made it out safe. Local police are urging drivers to hang type while crews protect the area and manage the mess. Highway shutdown looks set to drag on as firefighters keep battling hotspots and investigators dig in. We'll keep eyes on this one, bringing fresh details as they drop from the scene.