Fort Worth Fire Dept. Rules Under-Construction Apartment Complex Fire Arson

The Fort Worth Fire Department ruled an April blaze that destroyed a $5.5 million apartment complex under construction as arson. No injuries were reported.

Photo courtesy Fort Worth Fire Department

The April blaze that destroyed a $5.5-million under-construction apartment complex in Fort Worth was deemed arson recently by the city’s fire officials.

The Fort Worth Fire Dept. Arson and Bomb Division is investigating the “incendiary” fire at 7149 Trail Lake Drive, the department said.

“No other investigative findings will be publicly released due to this being an active criminal investigation,” Battalion Chief D.W. Jones told ENR Monday morning. “I will not comment about what led to our origin and cause findings, as this is an open and active investigation.

The two-alarm fire destroyed the wooden-framed 56-unit, $5.5-million apartment complex in the early stages of construction. No injuries were reported.

Upon arrival city firefighters found heavy smoke coming from the structure around 3:30 a.m. and immediately called a second responder. The blaze was manageable within the hour.

Winds carried embers to trees and neighboring buildings, while a construction trailer, building materials, and vehicles near the site also suffered damage, according to local news reports.

“Thankfully, firefighters were able to control those exposures, and they were spared heavy damages,” the fire department’s Facebook post stated at the time.

Dan has reported for national and regional newspapers for three decades. During that time, he’s covered topics ranging from three octogenarians who were known as the original Daisy Dukes because in their youth they ran moonshine in Appalachia to Latin American politics. For the last decade or so, he’s focused on global energy, mainly natural resources.

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