Massive fire destroys Fort Worth apartment building, sends one person to the hospital
A massive blaze tore through a two-story apartment building in southwest Fort Worth Friday night, destroying the structure and leaving one person with smoke inhalation, according to the fire department.
That person was taken to a hospital. James McAmis, a department spokesman, was unable Saturday morning to provide an update on the condition of the person, who was conscious and alert when firefighters arrived.
The blaze began about 7:30 p.m. in the Colonial Apartments in the 5000 block of Ridglea Lane. Video recorded by the fire department Friday night showed bright orange flames whipping in the wind and engulfing the two-story building, which was reduced to its brick and wood frame. People in cars could see the fire from far away as it illuminated the night sky.
The first firefighters to arrive on the scene found heavy fire that was already through the roof and began spraying water onto the blaze, McAmis said. Within eight minutes, he said, they elevated the call to a second alarm, bringing in additional crews. McAmis believes the person who was injured had been able to escape on their own, without the help of firefighters, he said.
The crews elevated the incident to a third alarm fire within an hour, McAmis said. About 90 Fort Worth firefighters battled the blaze, spraying water from on the ground and from the top of crane ladders.
The department had the fire under control in a little over an hour, containing it to the one apartment building, McAmis said. It took them deep into the overnight hours, however, to completely put out the fire.
“Our crews, when they got on and saw the heavy fire, they made quick work to be able to bring the fire under control in that short of amount of time,” McAmis said. “It was obviously a defensive fire, from the beginning.”
All tenants of the apartment building, which has 24 units, were displaced as a result of the fire.
It was unclear on Saturday where the fire began or what caused it. The fire department in investigating the cause of the fire, McAmis said.
This story was originally published March 5, 2021 at 10:54 PM.
