Dozens displaced after Grand Prairie apartment fire

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - More than a dozen families are without a home after a fire ripped through a Grand Prairie apartment complex.

The fire happened at the Cottonwood Park Village apartments just before 2 p.m. Thursday.

Fire investigators don’t know the cause of the fire yet, but it appears to have started inside one of the second-floor apartments.

Fire crews arrived to see heavy smoke coming from the building. As they started to attack the fire, officials say the fire spread to another apartment and got into the roof.

In total, 16 units were affected by smoke and water damage. Two of those units were not occupied, but everyone else got out safely. At least three units will most likely be a total loss.

“She just came. Her and her people came running out there with the little son, dangling him on the shoulder like the apartment’s on fire,” recalled witness Devon Hudson. “By the time we looked up, then they were all pulling up.”

The Red Cross has been called out to assist the families displaced. Fire officials say they don’t know if the apartments had working smoke detectors or not.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.