The Irving Fire Department battles the blaze in an apartment with temperatures in the triple digits
IRVING, Texas – Firefighters battled intense heat as they tried to put out a fire at an apartment complex in Irving.
Friday’s blaze became a three-alarm blaze primarily to allow more firefighters to rotate in the heat.
The Irving Fire Marshal says it’s standard procedure in temperatures like this for extra units to come out. A total of 22 firefighting units responded to a fire in an apartment complex.
At approximately 12.45pm on Friday afternoon, a fire broke out in an apartment complex on North Beltline Road.
Dyan Gregory watched from his window.
“One fire truck after another,” he said. “They kept coming, and I was like, ‘Oh my God!'”
Irving firefighters say no one was inside the apartment when the fire started.
Crews quickly evacuated nearby units.
Temperatures were over 100 degrees in Irving as the crews battled the fire. It provoked a greater response.
Irving Fire Marshal Derek Austin says that in extreme heat like this, it’s standard procedure to rotate firefighters more often.
“We give them more time to recover outdoors and allow them more time to drink water,” she said.
SKY 4 showed the additional manpower on the scene.
Austin says a total of 22 units responded and firefighters put out the flames 40 minutes after they first arrived.
“It really depends on the body temperature, which averages 98.6 degrees. When the outside temperature exceeds that, it becomes very difficult for a person to recover,” she explained.
Austin says no firefighters or residents were injured.
A total of six residential units were affected.
Gregory knows a woman who lived in one of them.
“I didn’t know there was so much damage,” she said. “I hope he’s totally fine. We’ll just have to follow up and make sure.”
The cause of the fire is still being investigated.
