The American Red Cross has opened an emergency shelter at the R.D. Evans Community Center to assist people who lost their homes in a major apartment fire on the city’s west side. The facility is providing cots and meals for those displaced by the blaze that occurred Tuesday morning.
Fort Worth Fire Department officials stated that the three-alarm incident at Mariposa Park Apartments required 30 units of equipment to extinguish. The fire destroyed much of the complex, leaving more than 50 residents without housing and damaging approximately 30 units. Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the fire.
Red Cross spokesperson Marcela Fajardo confirmed that volunteers were working inside the community center’s gymnasium to set up a dormitory area. By Tuesday afternoon, roughly 40 displaced individuals had received assistance. The organization stated it is open to everyone affected and expressed sympathy for the families involved.
At the scene of the fire, smoke detectors continued to beep from within the collapsed structure late Tuesday afternoon. Code enforcement officers were present to secure remaining entrances and cordon off the area around the complex. Residents needing overnight shelter at the center will remain there on a day-to-day basis as further arrangements are made.
One resident, Alfred Roundtree, noted that his apartment was near where the fire started but said he has not returned to survey damage or retrieve belongings. He expressed confidence in his faith regarding the situation. Other residents gathered at the shelter with pets and personal items while volunteers worked to organize the space.
