GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas — Two dozen people are waking up away from home after a three-alarm fire damaged their apartment overnight in Grand Prairie.
Fire officials said they responded to a fire in the 1900 block of Houston Street just before 9 p.m. on Wednesday. When crews arrived to the scene, black smoke and flames were coming from the roof.
Firefighters first attacked the fire offensively but quickly became defensive as it pushed through the rooftop.
The fire was put out around 9:30 p.m. The battalion chief said it is a miracle everyone made it out safely and no one was injured.
Officials said 17 apartment units were damaged and 25 people have been displaced.
Editor's note: Videos in this article say 40 people were displaced because of this fire. Officials later confirmed that 25 people were displaced.
WFAA spoke with Mark Blackwell, a resident who was evacuated from the building:
Carmela Byrd was counting her blessings, thankful that her family members survived a 3-alarm fire that caught them by surprise.
"I am so glad God woke her up because they could have been dead in there, breathing all that stuff," Byrd said.
Just thinking about losing her daughter and granddaughter in a fire brings tears for Byrd.
She lives about four hours away and only learned what was happening through a phone call during the fire from her daughter. They're okay, but emotions ran high while salvaging their belongings from her smoke damaged apartment.
"There is not a lot of water damage," Byrd said, "just a lot of smoke."
Her daughter, Alaini Byrd, and her 4-year-old granddaughter, Jaz'Lynn, got trapped by heavy thick smoke. Alaini heard commotion outside moments before realizing their building was on fire. But she thought it was just neighbors outside talking loudly to each other. That's when her apartment started filling up with black, thick smoke. Even after grabbing her daughter and coming outside she could not see.
"I just ran down the stairs," Alaini Byrd said. "I didn't care if I fell as long as I got me and my daughter to safety."
Grand Prairie Fire Battalion Chief Joe Harvey advised every family on how to get out alive, especially when fire hits structures with multiple units.
"It's a miracle that nobody got hurt," Harvey said. "Have a plan and practice that plan, especially with small children. You should make sure they understand what is expected of them."
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