Apartment complex catches fire in the lower valley

Fire crews were working to put out an apartment fire in El Paso’s Lower Valley Monday morning.

It started around 6 a.m. on the 72-hundred block of Dale Road, just a block from the intersection of Hawkins and N. Loop. EPFD reports the second level of a unit was completely engulfed in flames.

The fire was concentrated mainly in the second story unit closest to the street of the four unit building. The complex’s owner told ABC-7 it was an unoccupied 2 bedroom unit undergoing renovations, without even any appliances installed yet.

The owner wasn’t willing to speak on camera or be identified, but fire crews confirmed that the apartment itself would likely be a total loss, though no one was hurt.

Neighbors of the apartment saw the flames erupting from the roof. The battalion chief on the scene said firefighters had to evacuate the building when the floor collapsed, making the efforts to put out the flames take longer.

“It was about 30 minutes,” said Battalion Chief Carlos Franco. “We did it like I said. We had an attack on the initial apartment. They had to get out eventually because the floor collapsed on that apartment. So after about 15 minutes we were fighting the fire from the exterior.”

While the apartment itself will likely be a total loss, the adjacent units also have extensive damage. They may be able to be repaired, but residents could be forced out of their homes for some time.

The fire department has released a statement estimating $73 thousand dollars in damage to all of the units together, and that there were no working smoke alarms in the building.

The fire department does offer free smoke alarms. Citizens can request one by calling (915) 485-5699 or by filling out a form at http://home.elpasotexas.gov/fire-department/.