By BERT LOZANO / WFAA-TV
IRVING, Texas - Irving firefighters battled a five-alarm fire Monday evening at an apartment complex under construction in Las Colinas.
The spectacular fire, at the Lofts at Las Colinas in the 5200 block of O'Connor Blvd., broke out in a wood frame building around 6 p.m., spreading rapidly from one end of the four-story structure to the other.
Thick, black smoke could be seen for miles rising from the construction site, not far from Texas Stadium.
Construction workers like Jose Alcaraz were the first to report the fire. "I just saw smoke coming out and guys coming out saying, 'Fire! Fire! Smoke!'"
Firefighters rescued three workers trapped on the roof of the burning building.
"When we pulled up, the fire was primarily in the back, just a huge fireball in the back," Irving Fire Chief Paul White said. "We're trying to put so much water on the fire, it's overtaxing the mains. We've got the water department increasing the pressure."
But the water cannons proved no match for the intensity of the fire. There was little choice but to let the central building in the three-building project burn itself out as firefighters turned their attention to saving the two adjoining units.
Dallas Fire-Rescue sent manpower and equipment to help 125 Irving firefighters battle the intense blaze as they sweltered in temperatures approaching 100 degrees. One firefighter was treated at a local hospital for heat exhaustion; there were no other reports of injuries.
The cause of the fire was under investigation, but speculation focused on a welding torch as possibly providing the spark.
Records indicate that the $29 million apartment project was to feature 341 units—ranging in size from 750 to 1,550 square feet—and was scheduled to open next year.
Flames spread rapidly through the wood frame apartment buildingMonday evening.
