Abandoned Fort Worth school catches fire for the second time in 2 days, officials say
For the second time in less than 24 hours, firefighters battled a blaze at an abandoned school near downtown Fort Worth on Wednesday afternoon, officials said.
Crews were dispatched to site of the former R. Vickery School, at 1905 E. Vickery Blvd., around 12:30 p.m. When they arrived they found heavy smoke and fire coming from the west side of the main building, officials said in a Fort Worth Fire Department social media post. Crews also found fire on multiple floors and called for a second alarm.
No one was found inside the building, officials said, and no injuries were reported. Investigators are trying to determine the cause of the fire.
Crews were dispatched to R. Vickery School on Tuesday night for a fire in the building’s east wing, the fire department said. Firefighters found a dog inside and reunited it with its owner. No injuries were reported, and the cause of that fire also is under investigation.
Brush trucks also responded to Tuesday night’s blaze to keep grass fires caused by falling embers from getting out of control, a fire department spokesperson told the Star-Telegram.
Crews have responded to half a dozen fires at the abandoned school so far this year, officials said. The building is rundown, and they consider it a safety concern. In February 2020 two people suffered minor injuries from a fire in the basement.
R. Vickery School opened in September 1910 to serve the Glenwood neighborhood.
This story was originally published August 9, 2023 at 4:28 PM.
