Fort Worth apartment fire displaces hundreds; cause under investigation
Fort Worth 6-alarm apartment fire displaces hundreds
A six-alarm accidental fire at a Fort Worth apartment complex displaced over 800 residents, with the official cause still under investigation due to challenges posed by the building's rubber roof.
FORT WORTH, Texas - A doorbell camera video shows the moments after a fire started in a Fort Worth apartment building.
Hundreds of residents were evacuated and are now without their homes. The fire would grow to six alarms with more than 150 firefighters on scene.
This is the view less than five minutes after the first video of smoke covering the hallway while the firefighters work.
Less than two minutes after that, video shows firefighters rescuing a woman through the deep haze.
What we know:
The Fort Worth Fire Department calls the six-alarm fire at the six-story building ‘historic.’
As 834 residents were displaced, 170 firefighters and 64 fire trucks were dispatched.
It’s still unknown how many units were damaged by the fire, smoke, and water. Residents still await to find out when tenants will be allowed back inside.
The official cause remains unconfirmed. Fire officials were elaborating on the building’s rubber roof, shielding water meant to put out the blaze, while creating difficult work for firefighters trying to cut through to the source.
What they're saying:
Craig Trojacek of the Fort Worth Fire Department told FOX 4 that their investigators have deemed this fire accidental.
"So our investigators are deeming this an accidental fire," said Trojacek. "But when you start getting that friction with the saw blades, and everything that we’re using trying to get that access — that rubber just gums up those blades and then so it kind of deems those tools ineffective to a degree."
Local perspective:
Zaire Harris unintentionally fled his unit without his wallet.
"There are a lot of things I wish I would’ve grabbed," said Zaire. "You don’t really think that it’s you know the most dramatic thing, you’re thinking maybe somebody pulled something, maybe it’s like an accident — and so I didn’t really take it too seriously."
Dig deeper:
Michael Harris was a tenant at the Cooper Apartments, and he grabbed his dog, computers, and a safe before evacuating.
"You could see the smoke. You could hear the crackling of the fire," said Harris. "High-tailed it out of there, man. Didn’t waste time."
Harris later asked a firefighter about the building’s condition and received no words, just a look which told the story.
"He turned and looked back at me and just shook his head."
Harris does not believe his unit will be salvageable.
"My wedding ring is up there, my wife’s wedding ring is up there," he said. "Doesn’t seem like there’s going to be much left in there."
But it is not about what he doesn’t have. It’s what he still has.
"Me and my wife are safe. Our pet is safe."
The Source: Information in this article was provided by the Fort Worth Fire Department and additional information was provided from interviews by FOX 4's David Sentendrey.