834 people were displaced in the fire. Amid heartbreak were moments of relief as firefighters reunited owners with their pets.
FORT WORTH, Texas — More than 800 people are facing uncertainty after a devastating six-alarm fire tore through the Cooper Apartments in Fort Worth on Monday.
But in the midst of the destruction, moments of relief — and reunions — are giving displaced families a reason to hold on to hope.
“It’s just very heartbreaking,” said Jocelyn Sanchez, a resident who had only moved in about a month ago.
The fire left hundreds of residents without a home. Some, like Sanchez, are staying in hotels. Others are seeking shelter with the American Red Cross.
People are still waiting for word about what, if anything, they can return to salvage.
On Monday afternoon, Sanchez raced home from work after hearing about the fire to save her cat. She said she’s is grateful her apartment was in the less damaged building.
“A firefighter came up to me and said, ‘I promise you, your unit is okay.’ Then he walked me up to go get my cat,” Sanchez said.
That moment of compassion was mirrored by others who made it home just in time.
Tai Hart rushed back Monday afternoon to save her dog as smoke began to fill the building. At that point, the parking garage wasn’t closed yet. She was able to drive up to the fourth floor, where she lived.
“I had to run all the way down to the back of the hall to get to our apartment,” Hart recalled. “I picked him up and the apartment started getting smoky inside. I got there just in time.”
Hart made it out safety with her puppy, Koda, in her arms.
But not everyone was that lucky. For one resident, the wait to find her cat, Pooh Pooh, stretched past 24 hours.
“I’ve just been too worried about her,” she said.
She told Fort Worth fire officials her senior cat was still inside. On Tuesday afternoon, while crews continued to put out hot spots, a Fort Worth firefighter emerged from the charred building — with Pooh Pooh in his arms.
“We gotta clap! Oh my god,” neighbors cried as they watched the reunion.
“Like Winnie the Pooh,” the woman smiled, finally hugging her cat to her chest. “She’s not letting go.”
With uncertainty about where they’ll live next and what they’ve lost, residents are clinging to what matters most.
“She’s my heart,” the woman said.
Fort Worth Fire Department is still investigating the cause of the fire.