DALLAS — A two‑story apartment building near downtown Dallas erupted into a blinding blaze Thursday night, leaving the structure charred and a terrifying list of fatalities and injuries that is still being tallied.
Fire‑Rescue Deputy Chief Mark Berry addressed the scene after the heaviest waves of smoke dashed into the sky. There have been fatalities at this point, he said. The mission has shifted from rescue to recovery, he added. Let us work through the recovery phase and get a total number, Beaumont told reporters.
The fire was triggered when firefighters answered a gas‑leak call for the complex, only to find an explosion in the stairwell that sent the building into a fierce conflagration. Chuckles from the emergency response included a cavalry of I‑call helicopters and a sea‑of‑red hoses, but even the skilled crews could not quell the blast before it spread.
Adjacent to the wreck, hundreds of firefighters cut through the smoldering rubble, shoring up piles of smoked‑out timber in search of anyone trapped in the remains. The building today stands as a blackened shell of its former self.
City officials confirmed there was no ongoing maintenance work in the area at the time of the explosion. Meanwhile, the Dallas Fire‑Rescue Assistant Chief James Russ announced that at least four individuals from the building were rushed to the hospital with injuries.
The city’s emergency response team has also opened a family reunification center at a high school nearby, offering a safe space for residents to receive updates and assistance. In an interview, Frances Rizo said she was still seeking her friend, who lived in the burning complex.
She’s not answering her phone, Rizo explained.‑
Neighbors who lived close by described a shocking, ear‑ringing boom that shook the neighborhood. Julie Jensen, who was watching TV in her apartment a block away, remembered objects flying off walls and the scent of burning plaster.
I was sitting on my couch watching TV — stuff flew off our walls, Jensen recounted. Others, like Sal De La Rosa from a nearby auto‑repair shop, described how the building's structure trembled as the explosion reverberated.
Emergency crews continue to conduct primary searches throughout the night, with the fire now reportedly contained. The Dallas Fire‑Rescue has been operating with the full force of their resources, as investigators look to sign off on the incident.
As the investigation proceeds, the number of confirmed deaths and missing persons will slowly become clearer, while Dallas residents hold out hope for a swift recovery of their community.
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Associated Press journalists Jim Vertuno in Austin, Texas, and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed to this story.```
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Fire‑Rescue Deputy Chief Mark Berry addressed the scene after the heaviest waves of smoke dashed into the sky. There have been fatalities at this point, he said. The mission has shifted from rescue to recovery, he added. Let us work through the recovery phase and get a total number, Beaumont told reporters.
The fire was triggered when firefighters answered a gas‑leak call for the complex, only to find an explosion in the stairwell that sent the building into a fierce conflagration. Chuckles from the emergency response included a cavalry of I‑call helicopters and a sea‑of‑red hoses, but even the skilled crews could not quell the blast before it spread.
Adjacent to the wreck, hundreds of firefighters cut through the smoldering rubble, shoring up piles of smoked‑out timber in search of anyone trapped in the remains. The building today stands as a blackened shell of its former self.
City officials confirmed there was no ongoing maintenance work in the area at the time of the explosion. Meanwhile, the Dallas Fire‑Rescue Assistant Chief James Russ announced that at least four individuals from the building were rushed to the hospital with injuries.
The city’s emergency response team has also opened a family reunification center at a high school nearby, offering a safe space for residents to receive updates and assistance. In an interview, Frances Rizo said she was still seeking her friend, who lived in the burning complex.
She’s not answering her phone, Rizo explained.‑
Neighbors who lived close by described a shocking, ear‑ringing boom that shook the neighborhood. Julie Jensen, who was watching TV in her apartment a block away, remembered objects flying off walls and the scent of burning plaster.
I was sitting on my couch watching TV — stuff flew off our walls, Jensen recounted. Others, like Sal De La Rosa from a nearby auto‑repair shop, described how the building's structure trembled as the explosion reverberated.
Emergency crews continue to conduct primary searches throughout the night, with the fire now reportedly contained. The Dallas Fire‑Rescue has been operating with the full force of their resources, as investigators look to sign off on the incident.
As the investigation proceeds, the number of confirmed deaths and missing persons will slowly become clearer, while Dallas residents hold out hope for a swift recovery of their community.
---
Associated Press journalists Jim Vertuno in Austin, Texas, and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed to this story.```
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