OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Omaha firefighters are responding to fires at abandoned buildings across the city, with officials warning that these vacant structures pose serious safety risks due to structural hazards like holes in floors and sealed exits. The latest incident occurred Sunday evening when firefighters issued a mayday call at an abandoned house fire, adding to a growing list of similar emergencies at vacant properties where people who are homeless often seek shelter and light fires to stay warm.
- Omaha firefighters issued a mayday call Sunday night while responding to an abandoned building fire
- The incident is one of many fires at abandoned buildings across the city
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Omaha firefighters are confronting increasing risks as they respond to a growing number of fires at abandoned buildings across the city, with officials warning that these structures pose serious threats to both emergency responders and neighboring properties.
The latest incident occurred Sunday night when firefighters issued a mayday call while responding to a house fire at an abandoned building on Park St. The structure joins a growing list of mostly vacant properties where the Omaha Fire Department has battled blazes in recent months.
"There could be holes in the floors, the doors could be missed, the windows may be sealed, doors may be nailed shut," said Trevor Towey, who leads the firefighters union. "All of those things create additional risks for firefighters and, so, we have to be prepared to handle those."
Firefighters have responded to fires at abandoned structures throughout the city, including an abandoned hotel near 108th Street in January 2026. Battalion Chief Kurt Thieler, an Omaha Fire Department spokesperson, said investigators believe people were inside when the Park Street fire started but had left before firefighters arrived.
Alex Davison, who lives near one of the abandoned buildings, said he occasionally sees people entering and leaving the structure.
"Every now and then, yah, we see people walk in and out," Davison said.
The fires often start when people who are homeless seek shelter in these buildings and light fires to stay warm, creating dangerous conditions that extend beyond the abandoned structures themselves.
"There's always a risk that the neighboring structures that are adjacent to them could also be damaged, so we got to make sure that we mitigate that as well," Towey said.
Rocky Capella, who lives next to the abandoned hotel that caught on fire in January 2026, expressed concerns about the ongoing fire risk.
"Especially after that fire, it does need to be torn down," Capella said.
City leaders acknowledge the problem but explain that demolishing these hazardous structures requires following a carefully prescribed legal process that can take months or years to complete.
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