Officers, firefighter injured in north Topeka fire return to work

Context: The attached video initially aired Sept. 7, 2026. TOPEKA (KSNT) – A City of Topeka official is releasing new information Tuesday in the aftermath of a Labor Day fire that claimed the life of a child and injured several people, including three first responders. Kimberly Qualls with the City of Topeka told 27 News that one firefighter and two police officers have returned to work on Sept. 8. This comes after they sustained injuries while responding to a deadly north Topeka fire. Qualls said the name of the person who died as a result of the fire will not be released at this time. She also said she is unable to provide additional information about the condition of the other fire victims, citing medical privacy concerns. Fire crews and other first responders received reports of a residence on fire around 4 a.m. on Sept. 7 in the 100 block of Northeast Coachlight Drive. Emergency workers arriving at the scene found one residence on fire and began putting out the flames. First responders declared one person, a child, dead at the scene. Medical personnel treated three other people from the home for injuries sustained during the fire, later transporting two of them to a nearby hospital for care of life-threatening injuries. Two Topeka police officers, a firefighter and a bystander also sustained non-life-threatening injuries while responding to the fire. Investigators said an accident involving an electrical failure was likely the cause of the fire. For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf