Crime

Suspect arrested in Fort Worth apartment fire that displaced 20 residents, officials say

Fort Worth firefighters battled a blaze at an apartment complex the night of Friday, Feb. 28, that left around 20 people displaced, officials say. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but a man has been arrested and faces an arson charge.
Fort Worth firefighters battled a blaze at an apartment complex the night of Friday, Feb. 28, that left around 20 people displaced, officials say. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but a man has been arrested and faces an arson charge. Fort Worth Fire Department

A man has been arrested in connection with the apartment fire on Hamilton Avenue that displaced 20 residents, Fort Worth Fire Department arson investigators said in a statement on Sunday, March 2.

Orlando Gleason was arrested and faces a charge of arson/intended damage of a habitation following a domestic-related incident on the same night as the fire, according to the statement.

Gleason is being held in the Tarrant County Jail with a bond set at $250,000. He’s also being held on a parole violation out of Austin, jail records show.

The two-alarm fire at a Fort Worth apartment complex at 3100 Hamilton Ave. on Friday night damaged eight units and left an estimated 20 people displaced, officials said.

When firefighters arrived, shortly before 9 p.m., heavy fire was already showing from the second floor of the complex, according to Fort Worth Fire Department spokesperson Craig Trojacek.

Fort Worth firefighters assist residents at the scene of an apartment fire at 3100 Hamilton Ave. on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025.
Fort Worth firefighters assist residents at the scene of an apartment fire at 3100 Hamilton Ave. on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. Glen Ellman Fort Worth Fire Department

Firefighters helped three adults and two children get out of the building, Trojacek said. Two people were treated by medics and released at the scene. No one was taken to the hospital.

The fire damaged two units, and smoke and water damaged six more, according to Trojacek.

The Fort Worth Arson and Bomb Unit will be filing the case with the District Attorney’s Office this week, according to the statement.

Fort Worth firefighters assist residents at the scene of an apartment fire at 3100 Hamilton Ave. on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025.
Fort Worth firefighters assist residents at the scene of an apartment fire at 3100 Hamilton Ave. on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. Glen Ellman Fort Worth Fire Department

This story was originally published March 2, 2025 at 4:26 PM.

Shambhavi Rimal
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Shambhavi covers crime, law enforcement and other breaking news in Fort Worth and Tarrant County. She graduated from the University of North Texas and previously covered a variety of general assignment topics in West Texas. She grew up in Nepal.
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