Dallas Fire-Rescue continues to monitor an apartment building Friday that was destroyed in a fire the day before that displaced more than 80 people and injured a firefighter.
At about 4:45 p.m. Thursday a fire was reported at the Stone Ranch Apartments on the 9300 block of Skillman Street.
Firefighters arrived and quickly reported a little smoke coming from the third floor of the three-story building. The fire quickly reached 3-alarms and, according to Jason Evans with Dallas Fire-Rescue, firefighters quickly moved in for an offensive attack with the fire extending into the walls and attic.
When Chopper 5 arrived at the scene, flames were not yet visible through the roof and only heavy smoke could be seen coming from the building. However, just before 6 p.m., the fire grew much stronger and exploded out of windows on the second and third floors. Firefighters on a nearby ladder quickly retreated and climbed down to the ground to safety.
The flames then quickly spread throughout the building, devouring the roof and collapsing chimney stacks. One firefighter suffered a minor injury when part of a ceiling collapsed onto him. Evans said the firefighter was hospitalized for evaluation, but was released to go home Friday.
When the fire was upgraded to 4-alarms, DFR command ordered all firefighters out of the building.
Just after 9 p.m., more than four hours after the fire began, firefighters had the fire tapped out, Evans said in a news release Friday.
Friday morning, more than 12 hours after the fire started, fire crews keeping an eye on hot spots in the building's remains reported seeing steam coming from water hitting hot embers.
Crews at the scene used ladder trucks to survey the damage to the building and said basically only the walls of the building remain after the floors and ceilings collapsed to the ground floor.
Though fire investigators have determined an area where the fire is believed to have started, a third-floor bathroom, determining what actually started the fire will be impossible due to the damage. Evans said Friday the cause of the fire will be left as "undetermined."
At some point Friday building inspectors will determine if the structure is safe for fire investigators to go inside to find the cause of the fire. If the damage is too severe, crews warned the building may have to be demolished.
DFR reports 81 people have been displaced and as many as 42 apartments have been destroyed or are without essential services after the fire. The Dallas Chapter of the American Red Cross is helping displaced families. No residents were injured in the fire, officials said.
DFR reported late Friday morning the building, with a structure and content value of $565,000, is a total loss.
NBC 5's Ben Russell and Scott Gordon contributed to this report.
