Smoke and flames poured from a second-floor apartment in the 900 block of Adams Avenue in north Killeen on Tuesday morning, sending one resident to the hospital and forcing as many as eight others out of their homes. The Killeen Fire Department was dispatched to the two-story complex and arrived to find the fire already threatening to spread beyond the unit where it started.
Firefighters responded to the scene at approximately 9:51 a.m. and observed smoke and flames coming from the second-floor apartment, according to kdhnews.com. The fire quickly spread to the building's exterior walkway, putting it in danger of reaching neighboring apartments before crews could get it contained. As KWTX reported, the blaze broke out at the two-story complex in a report attributed to a city press release.
Crews Knock Down the Blaze Before It Spreads Further
Despite the walkway exposure, fire crews quickly brought the fire under control, according to kxxv.com. One occupant was transported to the hospital for smoke inhalation, and between six and eight others were displaced by the fire, the same account notes.
The scale of the response reflected the risk the walkway fire posed to the rest of the building. The response drew 21 firefighters, three engine trucks, one aerial apparatus, an ambulance, a rescue truck, two EMS supervisors and two battalion chiefs, per the KDH News report.
Red Cross Steps In to Help Displaced Residents
With several residents suddenly without a place to stay, the American Red Cross was contacted so it could render assistance to the displaced individuals, the report notes. No further details on the hospitalized occupant's condition or an exact number of displaced residents have been released.
A city alert snippet has attributed the fire's cause to construction work being performed in one of the second-floor apartments where the fire originated, though that detail comes from limited snippet evidence and has not been independently verified in full. The investigation into the exact circumstances of the fire continues.
