15 displaced after 3-alarm fire rips through Arlington apartment building

3-alarm fire in apartment building displaces residents

An overnight fire at a two-story apartment building in Arlington displaced 15 residents, including three children, early Wednesday morning.

ARLINGTON, Texas - An overnight fire at a two-story apartment building in Arlington displaced 15 residents, including three children, early Wednesday morning.

What we know:

Arlington firefighters were called to heavy smoke and flames coming from a two-story apartment building at 4024 Randy Drive around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Upon arrival, fire crews quickly called for a second alarm. They discovered the building had a tile roof, which raised concerns about a potential roof collapse and prompted officials to call for a third alarm. The Pantego Fire Department assisted in fighting the blaze.

It took fire officials 50 minutes to bring the fire under control.

Local perspective:

Six apartment units in the building sustained heavy damage, displacing the 15 residents. FOX 4 reporters learned at the scene that among the displaced residents were three children from one of the units. The American Red Cross is assisting those who lost their homes. No injuries were reported.

Resident describes fire response

What they're saying:

Detrina Fuller took FOX 4 on a quick tour inside her apartment.  

"This damage is, I feel like it’s the worst because this is where we eat dinner. This is where I cook our meals," Fuller said.  

"This is where the fire originally started, this is my children’s room," she went on.

First they smelled smoke, and summoned their maintenance man to check it out. He did not detect any source. Thirty minutes later, she said, the smell was worse. 

"My fiancé went upstairs because that’s where we smelled smoke the most, and he noticed the paint on the wall was bubbling, and so we grabbed the kids and exited the building," Fuller said.

Her children are 11, 9 and 4 years old. 

"With children, panic mode sets in, you just grab and go. So I grabbed my children, left the house with no shoes, no socks, no coat," said Fuller. "At first it wasn’t as bad, but by the time the fire department got here it was completely smoked out. We couldn't see the apartment."

With her children safely out of the apartment, Fuller, a nursing student, flew into action. Several neighbors, she says, are elderly.

"Especially with the elderly, if they have any respiratory issues, it can quickly escalate," she said. 

"They were trying to figure out why I was banging on their doors. Me and another neighbor were just banging, every door, every door," said Fuller.

Vickie van Norman is the complex manager. 

"We are very unsure of what our next steps are, but the Red Cross came out and gave everybody some vouchers to get them a place for the night and something to eat. We’ve been in touch with Mission Arlington to help out some people," van Norman said.

"My residents have all lived here for a long time, we're a very close-knit community. Some of them have been here over 20 years, so yeah, my very first concern was them and making sure they were out," said apartment manager Vicky Van Norman. "Once that was established, we made sure that everyone had blankets to stay warm while the fire got put out."

What we don't know:

The fire reportedly began in the attic. The cause of the fire is currently unknown and is under investigation.