Fort Worth Mariposa Park Apartment Fire Displaces About 50

Dozens of residents of a west Fort Worth apartment complex were forced from their homes before sunrise on Tuesday, Aug. 25, when a three-alarm fire tore through Mariposa Park Apartments on Calmont Avenue. Fire officials said about 50 apartments were damaged, and five people were treated for injuries, including one firefighter.

What happened

Fort Worth Fire Department crews were dispatched at about 5:30 a.m. to a reported apartment fire at the complex in the 6700 block of Calmont Avenue, near Interstate 30 and Green Oaks Boulevard, the department said on X. The department said crews arrived within two minutes, but the fire was already well advanced, and the response grew to three alarms.

According to Tech Times, the affected building is a two-story, wood-frame "garden" style structure with lightweight roof trusses and open attic space, which allowed fire to travel horizontally through the attic and reach the roofline before crews could stop it.

Who was affected

Roughly 50 apartments were destroyed or damaged. Early estimates that as many as 100 people were displaced were later revised; NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth reported about 50 people displaced, while other reports cited 57 residents.

Five people were treated: one firefighter, who was treated for smoke inhalation and returned to duty, and four civilians. Two of the civilians were taken to hospitals; their conditions were not released. One resident told NBC 5 that everything lost "can be replaced, in time."

The fire came less than a day after two Fort Worth firefighters were hospitalized with burns following a mayday at a wind-driven house fire on Crowley Road the night before, Tech Times reported. Both firefighters were rescued by a rapid intervention team.

Response and aid

The American Red Cross opened an evacuation center at the R.D. Evans Community Center, 3242 Lackland Road, and provided food, water, toiletries, pet supplies and teddy bears for children, according to NBC 5. Residents in need of help can call 1-800-RED-CROSS.

Cause and investigation

The cause has not been determined. Investigators said they were waiting for the structure to be declared safe to enter before beginning their work, and both the apartment fire and the previous night's house fire remain under investigation.

Why garden-style complexes burn fast, and what renters can do

Two- and three-story garden apartments are among the most common rental housing types in Texas and across the Sun Belt. Many older complexes lack sprinklers in attics, where a fire can run the length of a building before anyone below sees flames. That is why early warning and fast exits matter so much.

• Treat any alarm as real. Leave immediately, knock on neighbors' doors if it is safe, and call 911 from outside.
• Close doors behind you. A closed door slows the spread of smoke and fire to stairwells and neighboring units.
• Check your smoke alarm. Texas law requires landlords to install smoke alarms and to inspect them at the start of a tenancy, and to repair or replace them when a tenant reports a problem. Make your request in writing.
• Keep renters insurance current. Policies typically cover belongings and pay for hotels and meals if your unit is unlivable.
• After a fire, ask about your lease. Texas law allows either party to end a lease when a unit is totally unusable because of fire damage not caused by the tenant, and may entitle you to a prorated rent refund. Ask management about your deposit and any prepaid rent, and get answers in writing.

Mariposa Park residents who still need assistance should contact the Red Cross North Texas region. Tenants elsewhere can use this fire as a prompt to photograph their belongings, store a copy of their lease online and confirm their renters policy is active.