Man charged with arson after apartment fire displaces 24

Published August 15, 2026 12:28 PM CDT

A man was charged with arson after Dallas Fire Rescue investigators said he started a fire in his apartment after a domestic dispute.

What we know:

The fire happened just before 12:30 a.m. Friday and displaced 24 residents, including 11 children.

Raydrick Lee, 33, was charged with arson with intent to damage habitat or place of worship.

Raydrick Lee

Timeline:

Dallas Fire-Rescue received a call about a fire at Buena Vista Apartment, located at 3960 Altoona Drive, just before 12:30 a.m. Friday.

Firefighters said heavy fire was coming from the front and side of the two-story apartment building when they arrived. The fire took nearly two hours to put out, with firefighters declaring it extinguished just before 2 a.m.

According to DFR, all the apartments had moderate to significant damage. As a result, 24 people were displaced, with 11 of them being children. The Red Cross is assisting those displaced.

Investigators said Lee started the fire after a domestic dispute. Lee sustained injuries to his upper body and was taken to an area hospital before his arrest.

No one else was injured.

What we don't know:

It is unknown what started the fight that investigators said led to the fire.

The Source: Information in this article comes from Dallas Fire-Rescue.

DallasCrime and Public Safety