Amarillo firefighters battled two structure fires over the weekend — one at a commercial building on North Fillmore Street and another at a multi-unit apartment complex on Evergreen Street — with no injuries reported, officials said.
The most recent fire was reported at 10:59 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 1 at a one-story commercial structure at 513 N. Fillmore St., according to the Amarillo Fire Department. Crews arrived to find heavy smoke pushing from the roof, and they established incident command while conducting a 360-degree size-up.
Initial entry was made from one side of the structure, where crews encountered high heat and low visibility. As conditions deteriorated and fire extended along the roofline, command ordered personnel to withdraw and shifted operations to a defensive strategy.
Fire suppression continued from the exterior of the building until the main body of fire was knocked down. Crews later re-entered unaffected areas to extinguish remaining hot spots, conduct overhaul operations and complete a primary search. The building was thoroughly searched, and no occupants were located.
The fire was brought under control at approximately 12:11 a.m. Monday, and all units were later released. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Amarillo Fire Marshal’s Office.
Apartment complex fire displaces residents
A separate structure fire was reported Saturday night, Jan. 31 at a single-story, multi-unit apartment complex at 1309 Evergreen St. Fire units were dispatched at 8:49 p.m., with the first crew arriving at the scene within minutes.
Fire involvement was heavy in one apartment, with flames extending to multiple corners of the building and self-venting through the roof, AFD said. Crews initiated an aggressive interior attack, secured a water supply and conducted primary searches of the remaining apartments while suppression operations continued.
The fire was brought under control at 9:34 p.m. All apartments were cleared, and the American Red Cross was contacted to assist displaced residents. Damage estimates were still being evaluated as of Sunday.
The cause of the Evergreen Street fire is also under investigation.
Fire officials reminded residents and property owners to secure vacant properties, maintain working smoke alarms and have an escape plan, emphasizing that occupants should get out, stay out and call 9-1-1 from a safe location.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Two Amarillo structure fires reported over the weekend
Reporting by Michael Cuviello, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
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