Dallas Fire-Rescue Press Release

 

Contact:     Annette Ponce, PIO                                                             Date:   July 26, 2001

                   Office: 214-670-7949                                                        Immediate Release

              Pager : 214-670-4115,code 9885

Electrical Short causes Three Alarm Fire in Southwest Dallas Apartment Complex

 

Date of Incident:        July 26, 2001

 

Location:                    Mountain Valley Apartments

1006 Cherry Laurel Ln. #202

 

Response:                  Three Alarms

14 Major pieces of equipment

                                    56 Firefighters

           

Times:                         1st alarm 1:24 p.m.

                                    2nd alarm 1:34p.m.

                                    3rd alarm 1:50 p.m.

                                    Under Control @ 2:12 p.m.

 

Cause:                        Electrical Short in Motor of Air Condition Window Unit

 

Injuries:                      One male firefighter experienced heat exhaustion and

                                    One 13 year-old male suffered from a broken leg

                                                                       

Damages:                   $50,000-Structure

                                    $10,500–Content

                                   

Details: Dallas Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke coming from the Mountain Valley Apartments. The fire went to three alarms in less than half an hour. Eight apartment units were damaged as a result of this fire. Tenants occupied four of the eight apartment units; fortunately no one was home at the time of the fire. The cause of this fire was an electrical short from an air condition window unit located in apartment #202. Two injuries occurred during this incident. One of the injured was a firefighter who experienced heat exhaustion and was transported to a Methodist Central for observation. The other injured person was a 13 year-old male, while in the process of alerting residents that there was a fire, broke his leg in two places. Anthony Lemones will be admitted to Children’s Hospital for two days.