Crews Battle 3-Alarm Arlington Apartment Fire
Updated 10/25, 4:30 p.m.
ARLINGTON (CBSDFW.COM) - Sixteen apartments suffered fire or smoke damage during a 3-alarm blaze that broke out at 5:53 a.m. at a complex in the 2300 block of Hollowridge Ln. Tuesday morning.
Three people were injured in the fire. The most serious injury occurred when a person fractured their leg jumping from the second floor. As commuters fought rush hour traffic, firefighters were busy looking for possible hot spots left by the blaze.
Fire investigators believe the fire started on the patio of a first floor apartment and spread.
In addition to the victim with the fractured leg, a fire spokesman said another person was rescued using a ladder truck and suffered some smoke inhalation.
Residents told CBS 11 News they saw walls of flames and felt they had no choice but to jump.
"I grabbed some pillows and our mattress, tossed 'em down, and jumped off the balcony," said fire victim Justin Ross, who told CBS 11 about the events while holding a little girl. "She tossed her [the little girl] down to me. One of our neighbors came running around the corner and helped me catch her and then we ran next door and caught our neighbors… caught their kid too."
Two apartments suffered severe fire damage, another six had moderate smoke damage and eight suffered minor smoke damage. The Red Cross has been called to help the 30 displaced residents.
Investigators do not know how the fire started, and the victims have not been identified.
