Northeast News
January 7, 2014

The Kansas City Fire Department has released the identity of the man who died in the Jan. 4 house fire in the 5700 block of St. John Avenue, next door to Northeast News.

KCFD crews arrived on scene around 7:12 a.m. Jan. 4 and found 54-year-old Clyde Robert Finley unconscious inside the home. Finley was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead. Cause of death was smoke inhalation, said KCFD Chief Fire Marshall Floyd Peoples.

An overloaded electrical outlet in the living room caused the fire, he said. There were two smoke alarms in the home, but neither contained batteries.

Once the weather improves, KCFD, along with the American Red Cross, will canvas the Historic Northeast area to remind residents about the importance of fire safety and working smoke alarms, Peoples said.