Northeast apartment complex fire was ‘accidental’, fire officials urge safety measures

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- A spokesperson with the El Paso Fire Department is providing more information about what started a fire at an apartment complex in the Northeast.

The fire happened on the 10400 block of Rushing Rd. at the Desert Sun Apartments Friday evening.

Enrique Dueñas-Aguilar, with the fire department, told ABC-7 the cause of the fire was accidental. He said electric wiring in the attic was to blame.

"It appears it was an electrical malfunction, some wires in the attic, so that has already been established to the cause of the fire," he said.

The fire was categorized as a condition 3, which resulted in 16 emergency vehicles and up to 50 firefighters at the scene.

No injuries were reported, but the spokesperson said six residents were displaced. The American Red Cross was assisting.

The fire department told ABC-7 regular upkeep in both apartment units and homes is necessary.

"It’s all about maintenance, so if you have something in your apartment make sure everything is working properly. Any lights, any fixtures, any kitchen devices anything like that. If you are in doubt, call the landlord to get it checked," he said.

Dueñas-Aguilar said these type of fires can be common during the colder months. He said this could be because more people are using their heating systems.

"It can get overheated because they are drawing power. This can also happen in the summer when we are seeing the hotter months of the year when people are using their AC systems and they are just running it all day, so that’s why it is importance to have maintenance in place."

He said smoke alarms can also make a significant difference.

"If you start to seeing them chirping or anything like just let the landlord know and they will replace it for you. They will replace the batteries depending on what is needed," he said.