FORT WORTH, Texas - A massive three-alarm fire tore through a west Fort Worth apartment complex early Tuesday morning, damaging approximately 50 units, sending two residents to hospitals and displacing 57 people.
Fort Worth Fire Department crews were dispatched at approximately 5:30 a.m. on Aug. 25 to the Mariposa Park Apartments in the 6700 block of Calmont Avenue.
Firefighters arrived within two minutes and encountered heavy flames coming through the roof of the two-story apartment complex.
Because of the intensity of the fire and the potential for numerous rescues and evacuations, the incident commander immediately called for a second alarm to bring additional firefighters and equipment to the scene.
As conditions worsened and the scope of the fire became clear, the response was upgraded to a third alarm.
Additional crews were needed for fire suppression, evacuating residents, providing emergency medical care and handling potential rescues throughout the complex.
Fire Spreads Through Attic, Forces Firefighters Out
Fire officials said the blaze appeared to have already spread extensively through the attic before firefighters arrived.
As a result, the building's structural integrity began deteriorating rapidly.
Firefighters initially operated inside the complex while making sure residents were evacuated. Once officials confirmed residents were safely out, commanders ordered all firefighters to leave the building and switched to a defensive firefighting operation.
A Personnel Accountability Report, or PAR, was conducted to confirm that every firefighter was safely outside and accounted for.
Firefighters then raised aerial ladder pipes and poured thousands of gallons of water into the burning building from above to bring the fire under control.
Residents Hospitalized, 50 Apartments Affected
One Fort Worth firefighter was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.
Four residents also required medical attention. Two were treated at the scene, while two others were transported to area hospitals for smoke inhalation.
Approximately 50 apartment units were affected by the fire. Some sustained extensive fire damage, while others were damaged by smoke or water during the firefighting operation.
In total, 57 residents were displaced.
The American Red Cross responded to assist those who could not return to their homes. Trinity Metro helped transport displaced residents to an evacuation center established at the R.D. Evans Community Center, 3242 Lackland Road.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
