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 the hospital. James McAmis, a department spokesman, was unable to provide an update on their condition Saturday morning but noted the person 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. Videos taken by the fire department Friday night show bright orange flames whipping in the wind and engulfing the two-story building, which was reduced to its brick and wood frame. People in their 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 fire, 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. Around 90 Fort Worth firefighters were battling the blaze, spraying water from on the ground as well as going on top of crane ladders to spray down into the building.

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.