Fort Worth Fire Department battles 6-alarm apartment fire on Rosedale Street

The Fort Worth Fire Department battled a record-setting 6-alarm fire that started Monday afternoon at an apartment complex at 1001 W. Rosedale St. and displaced more than 800 residents.

The Fire Department was called to the Cooper Apartments, on the city’s Near Southside, shortly after 1:30 p.m. Monday. More than 60 fire trucks and almost 170 firefighters were on the scene, and crews remained there Monday night to monitor and extinguish hot spots.

The fire was declared under control about 10:20 p.m.

Residents were evacuated from the six-story building. One non-life-threatening injury was reported, according to fire officials. The injured resident was rescued from their apartment and taken to a hospital in good condition, Fire Department spokesperson Craig Trojacek said at a news conference Monday. A total of six firefighters and civilians were treated on scene for heat exhaustion.

The large number of firefighters responded to help evacuate residents and their pets, and to allow crews to rotate working because of the heat, Trojacek said. Firefighters from the Lake Worth Fire Department and River Oaks Fire Department also were on scene to help, and Arlington firefighters provided mutual aid by covering Fort Worth’s fire stations.

When crews arrived, they first saw heavy smoke coming from the roof. “As firefighters attacked the fire from aerial hoses and on the roof, it was clear that the fire was putting up a good fight,” the Fire Department said in a news release Tuesday. “Additional crews were inside the building attacking the fire and evacuating the residents. When there was a partial roof collapse, crews were ordered to evacuate the building.”

The damage appeared heaviest on the fifth floor, and wind caused the smoke to spread, Trojacek said.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation. There was some maintenance work being done at the building, but investigators had not been able to go inside yet to determine if that was related to the fire’s origin, Trojacek said Monday afternoon.

Over 800 apartment residents displaced by fire

The Cooper opened in 2020 with 390 apartment units. According to the fire officials, 834 residents of the apartments had to leave their homes because of the fire. It’s unknown when residents will be allowed to go back inside the building, but they will be notified when it’s safe to do so, the Fire Department said.

“It is unknown at this time how many units were damaged by fire or suffered smoke/water damage,” the department said on Tuesday morning. “It is still an active scene and firefighters are waiting on engineers to inspect the structural integrity of the building before gaining entry.”

One resident, Stephen Pullman, said he saw smoke and crossed the street and he texted “all my classmates that live here — a lot of us do — to get out.”

Another resident, Cristian ArguetaSoto, said he was at work when his fiancee texted and said she heard a fire alarm. She took their dogs downstairs and “by that time, there was thick smoke in the hallway,” he said.

ArguetaSoto drove home to pick up his fiancee and take her to her mother’s house. Then he went back to the apartments to wait outside for updates on the damage.

Zaire Harris, another tenant in the building, said that he works from home and heard the fire alarms going off about 1:30 p.m.

“It kept going on for about another 10-15 minutes, and then we decided to come on down,” Harris said. “At that point you can kind of smell some smoke and see some smoke on the fourth floor.”

Firefighters asked residents to avoid the area near the building for their safety and the safety of first responders.

“We have been rotating crews to make sure that that our firefighters are rested. We bring them out and put them under shade and provide water and fluids,” Trojacek said.

Rosedale remained closed from Henderson Street to College Street on Tuesday, and there was no estimate for when the street will reopen.

Red Cross provides help

After being contacted by the apartments’ management, the American Red Cross’ North Texas Region Disaster Action Teams are offering help to the hundreds of residents who have been displaced by the fire, the Red Cross said in a news release.

The Red Cross said it is supporting a respite center for affected residents at One Safe Place, at 1100 Hemphill St. Volunteers there are handing out water, snacks and comfort kits as needed.

Apartment residents who need Red Cross assistance and services can visit the respite center or call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

The Red Cross also is working with the Fort Worth Office of Emergency Management to find housing solutions. An overnight shelter for displaced residents was set up at the Charles H. Haws Athletic Center, 600 Congress St.

Most pet owners have been reunited with their animals, but if you are still looking for your pet, visit the Chuck Silcox Animal Care & Control Center at 4900 Martin St. Make sure to tell them that you are a resident of the Cooper Apartments, and there will be no fees to get your pet back.

Teams from the Red Cross will begin assessing damage Tuesday afternoon if conditions permit.

This story was originally published June 23, 2025 at 3:11 PM.