DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Dallas Fire Investigators have determined that the five-alarm apartment fire that displaced over 60 senior residents and injured two firefighters on April 8 was all started by a cigarette.
The fire started in a second story unit at around 6:33 p.m. Firefighters said that the occupant of that unit admitted that while on a balcony, he “improperly disposed” of a cigarette by attempting to put it out on the wood. The fire quickly spread through the apartment complex’s walls, making it difficult to put out.
Amazingly, all of the 68 residents were accounted for. 48 were taken by a DART bus to the Samuell Grand Recreation Center, where the American Red Cross had set up a shelter, three were taken to local hospitals for pre-existing medical conditions, and the remaining 17 were picked up by family members.
Fire officials said that the managers of the property are working with the Dallas Office of Emergency Management and the American Red Cross to meet the displaced residents’ needs and figure out their living arrangements.
At one point, fire officials received a mayday call, signaling that a firefighter was in danger. Ultimately, everyone made it out alive, but two sustained injuries, one from a fall, the other from minor burns. Both have since been released from the hospital.
According to federal data, there were 1,900 apartment fires caused by smoking in 2019 alone. Those fires caused 65 deaths, 190 injuries, and caused an estimated $3.14 billion in damages.