Officials: Overnight Dallas Apartment Fire Causes Significant Damage
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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Dallas Fire-Rescue responded to an apartment fire early Sunday morning at the Mandalay Palms Apartments on the 7500 block of Chesterfield Drive that took approximately 70 firefighters to extinguish.
When first responders arrived at the scene they saw fire extending from the top of the three-story apartment building.
Officials said flames were in a breezeway which cut off escape routes for residents. Residents were forced to jump from their balconies to escape the flames.
According to officials, there were no injuries caused by the fire, but there were injuries related to escape efforts. One person was injured after scaling a fence and another person was injured after two people who were jumping from a second-floor balcony landed on them.
Both people suffered non life-threatening injuries but were taken to a local hospital as a precautionary.
According to officials, the efforts of about 70 firefighters extinguished the flames, but there was significant damage left behind.
Officials said 12 out of the 24 units in the affected apartment building were rendered uninhabitable due to fire, smoke, and/or water damage.
The American Red Cross was called to assist the needs of residents who were displaced from the building. About 30 people were displaced and most ran out with the clothes on their backs.
Beverly Wilson, who is a cancer patient, escaped the building but had to leave her dog behind.
A firefighter ended up reuniting Wilson with her dog, and the act of kindness brought her to tears.
There were other stories of survival from apartment residents like from Joe McKay.
"I'm hearing people say 'jump!' A veteran brother of mine jumped from his third floor. He jumped from a window, and he lost everything."
Monty Wilson recalled another story of survival.
"The breezeway, where the stairwell was, was engulfed in flames. There was a baby dropped down from the top level, and someone caught it down below."
Fire investigators are currently looking into what caused the fire.
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