The report states that a maintenance contractor was trying to repair the wiring to an HVAC unit when the fire began.
FORT WORTH, Texas — A report has been released investigating the Fort Worth apartment fire that displaced nearly 850 people on Monday, determining it was accidental and citing an “electrical anomaly with arcing” as the cause.
According to the report, a maintenance contractor told arson investigators he had been hired to look at the HVAC unit for the complex that morning. The electrical breaker connected to the unit had tripped, and when he reset the breaker, it tripped again upon reactivating it. He told investigators he thought this may have been a bad breaker, so he disconnected the unit wiring and removed the breaker to replace it.
After reconnecting the breaker and wiring it like the previous one, the report details, the new breaker “auto tripped,” meaning it may have been a wiring issue.
After disconnecting the breaker and returning to the roof to disconnect the wiring, the report states the contractor then saw the fire near the AC unit from the roof line and called 911.
The investigator wrote in the report that he was able to determine the fire was around the void spaces near the roof of the apartment building near one of the HVAC units, and that it was accidental, caused by an electrical anomaly with arcing.
A total of six alarms were needed for the fire, and 79 suppression apparatus and 272 firefighting personnel were needed to put it out.
One person was injured in the fire and was taken to the hospital for treatment. Their condition is unknown but officials say they’re expected to be OK. Six people, including firefighters and civilians, were treated for heat exhaustion on the scene.
The heat complicated firefighting operations as firefighters required additional rehab to stay hydrated, a release stated.
Firefighter attacked the fire using aerial hoses on the roof while additional crews were in the building attacking the fire and evacuating residents, the release states. Crews were pulled from the building after a partial roof collapse.