Fort Worth 6-alarm fire displaces hundreds, prompts federal aid request

The Brief

• A six-alarm apartment fire in Fort Worth displaced more than 800 people from the Cooper Apartment Complex.
• Governor Abbott has requested a damage assessment to determine whether the extensive losses qualify for federal disaster assistance.
• The city and charitable partners have established a fund and are helping residents retrieve vital belongings as structural safety assessments continue for the damaged buildings.

FORT WORTH, Texas - Governor Abbott is requesting a damage assessment for a six-alarm apartment fire that displaced hundreds of people in Fort Worth. The individual losses are extensive, and collectively they may be sufficient to qualify for federal disaster assistance.

Meanwhile, the city and charity partners are helping out as well.

What we know

The assistance for these hundreds of fire victims is a community-wide effort, including the City of Fort Worth.

More than 800 people were displaced by the six-alarm fire at the Cooper Apartment Complex as they continue making small moves toward progress.

The Fort Worth Fire Department told FOX 4 that the fire was accidental. The cause was an electrical anomaly in a space beneath the roofing material.

Fort Worth Fire Department officials are back on the property to assist residents by retrieving essential items for them.

Items such as medicine, passports, and important documents were recovered from the fire.

Meanwhile, a fund established to raise money for the victims is a partnership between the City of Fort Worth and the United Way.

What they're saying

Councilwoman Elizabeth Beck, who represents this district, says the fund is a reflection of the spirit of helping those in need.

One thing we know about Fort Worth is that when our neighbors are in need, we step up. And you have absolutely seen that across our community with those victims of the Cooper apartment fires, whether they are donating directly to The United Way through the fund established for them or they're donating toiletries, they're cleaning out their closets.

Residents who lost pets

Local perspective

For Miriam Zarza and her fiancé, their three most precious belongings, Saint, Gizmo, and Rex, were inside when their fifth-story unit collapsed through to the second floor.

"Gone. (Total loss). Everything," said Zarza.

So it's just a very scary feeling to even think about what they went through in their last moments.

The couple were at work when they were notified of the fire. By the time they arrived home, it was too late.

"And after that it was already too hard to control," she said.

I feel like it hasn't really hit me yet. Just because I haven't had anything from my pets, like their remains or anything, they're still there, so I still feel like I haven't gotten closure from this.

What's next

Residents of building one are still being kept out of the building. Only fire officials and designated recovery personnel may retrieve items until the building's structural safety is confirmed.

Building two residents have been able to go to their units for very short periods of time to gather important items.

The Source

Information in this article was provided from interviews conducted by FOX 4's Dionne Anglin and David Sentendrey.