Dallas Firefighters Battle Cold At 3-Alarm Apartment Fire
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Firefighters in northeast Dallas spent part of Monday morning battling freezing weather and a fire at the Ivy Apartments in the 7200 block of Holly Hill Drive, near Greenville Avenue.
Despite fire crews arriving quickly, around 5:30 a.m., the blaze quickly went from two- to three-alarms as flames and smoke shot from the roof of the two-story apartment building.
There were a total of 16 apartments in the building. Eight of those units were damaged by varying degrees of smoke, fire and /or water. According to the American Red Cross, who was dispatched to help those impacted, at least 56 residents were displaced as a result of the damage.
"When it comes to wintertime, the weather is getting very cold. People are just trying to find any way to heat their home," said Krystal Smith, a spokesperson with the American Red Cross. "We encourage them to go ahead and take those fire safety precautions. Make sure they have a smoke alarm and make sure they know their fire escape plan."
Apartment management said residents who need help will be relocated to other available units in the complex.
Approximately 70 firefighters worked to put out the flames. No firefighters or residents were injured.
Fire investigators believe the fire began in a second floor unit, before making its way into the ceiling space and spreading. Unfortunately, the severe damage that the building sustained made it unsafe to conduct a more thorough internal investigation; and as a result, the cause of the fire remains undetermined.