Vacant Fort Worth school building catches fire twice this week, 5th time this year
FORT WORTH, Texas - Firefighters are investigating after a vacant school building in Fort Worth caught fire two days in a row.
The fires were reported Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon on opposite ends of the old R. Vickery School building in the city’s Glenwood neighborhood.
Photos shared by the Fort Worth Fire Department showed the building’s east wing engulfed in flames Tuesday night.
The department said firefighters quickly searched the burning building for anyone who may have been trapped. They rescued a dog that was later reunited with its owner.
On Wednesday afternoon, a fire on the west side of the building produced heavy smoke as it spread to multiple floors. Thankfully, no one was inside, and no one was injured.
The fire department said the abandoned building is well-known to fire crews. They’ve battled at least half a dozen fires there just this year alone.
"We come out here quite often," said Craig Trojack, a spokesman for FWFD. "When this address is called out, the guys know exactly where they’re going."
Despite the building’s heavy graffiti and the homeless population in the area, Trojack stopped short of blaming the fires on people seeking shelter in the building.
He said investigators are still looking into the cause of this week’s fires.
Trojack said Tuesday night’s fire was a lot bigger than many that firefighters have put out in the past. Firefighters suspect the building’s integrity is now structurally compromised.
"It’s a three-story building. An old, abandoned school. It has a full basement. There’s holes in the floors. There’s trip hazards between trash and furniture that gets drug in to here," Trojack said. "There’s dogs that live in that our people have had to deal with. Not only when they come in on fires but for EMS calls."
It’s become an obvious haven for homeless people and illegal drug use.
The dangerous debris include a bicycle, trash, old furniture, clothing, shoes and even a tire.
Courtesy FWFD
"On Tuesday night, we saw approximately 50 to 75 people that were getting outside of the building as it was actively on fire, which hinders the whole concept," Trojack said. "Are there people still left inside? Do any of these people coming out know anything or had anything to do with the reason it’s on fire to begin with?"
The city is now having urgent talks about how to proceed in the short and long terms in what has become a major blight and safety issue.
"Something has to be done. Our firefighters are going in here way too often," Trojack said. "Like I said, not just for the fires but for EMS calls. Somebody’s going to get hurt or worse."
It’s not yet clear if it will be torn down or if any additional security will be added. That’s likely something city officials will be discussing in the near future.
"We’re aware of it and the people that need to know are aware of it. It’s just a matter of how and at what point do all of those things come into play. It’s just a process that it takes and a lot of times that process is not as easy as it seems to be from the outside," Trojack said.
Courtesy FWFD