All units of North Dallas condo building destroyed in fire, 1 resident unaccounted for

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Firefighters continued working a 7 alarm fire in North Dallas on Saturday, nearly 18 hours after it began. At least 200 firefighters battled the flames as they destroyed a 4 story, 60 unit condominium building.

One of the residents remains unaccounted for. 89-year-old Jacqueline McDonald has been missing since the fire began. Police say she’s about 5’6, 120 lbs and has dementia.

People who live in neighboring condos watched, amazed the next day, at how much water continued pouring into the building to keep the fire under control.

Mary Lou Albrecht says she saw the blaze grow at the Preston Place Condos from her 28th floor balcony. “I couldn't believe it. It looked like when you see pictures of bombings and how the buildings are all on fire and they crumble.”

“At some point that fire got into the walls and got in between the floor spaces, all the way up to the roof space. It's a very small place where a fire can smolder and then spread,” said Jason Evans with Dallas Fire-Rescue.

Every unit in the building was destroyed, leaving Joey Davenport and 59 other families without a home. “We have a one year old, grabbed him. You don't really grab anything you just leave,” he said.

Paramedics took two people to the hospital with minor injuries. Besides that, they say everyone made it out safely.

The Red Cross is assisting at least 100 people, many of them elderly. The cause of the fire is under investigation.