On Tuesday, Fort Worth firefighters responded to a blaze at a six-story office building on South Hulen Street that was quickly extinguished with no reported injuries. According to a social media post by the Fort Worth Fire Department, the alarm office received an automatic dispatch at 8:22 pm, which was then followed by numerous calls from eyewitnesses reporting visible fire coming from the top floor of the building.
A full alarm was set off, upgrading the situation to a high-rise fire as arriving fire crews made an aggressive attack on the blaze, confronted with not only the raging fire but the demanding task to search the entire building for occupants. As stated by the Fort Worth Fire Department, “Once crews arrived on scene and assessed the situation, the call type was upgraded once again to a working commercial hi-rise fire and the Incident Commander requested a second alarm.” While the firefighters carried an extra 80-100 pounds of weight battling the fire, this included essential EMS bags, shovels, and extra hose lines, emphasizing the physical strain they endure during such emergencies.
After thirty minutes of firefighting, the fire was reportedly under control; however, a third alarm was effectively called for reinforcement due to the lengthy cleanup and recovery operation. Crews had to thoroughly check every hallway, office, and closet to ensure no one was left needing help, while groups were set up to ventilate smoke and evacuate water left behind by the sprinklers and hose lines. “Firefighters used a lot of tarps to cover and protect vital office furniture, documents and other important items that were held inside the multiple businesses within the office complex,” the Fort Worth Fire Department noted, underscoring the extensive efforts to safeguard property even after the active threat had passed.
