ROWLETT, Texas — The Rowlett Fire Department expects to be on site of an apartment building fire for the next five to six days just in case hotspots flare up.
The View at Sapphire Bay is a luxury multi-family development that sits right along Lake Ray Hubbard. The fire, which started the night of Dec. 15, was first reported by motorists on Interstate 30 while crossing the bridge.
"Wind-driven fires are very dangerous," Chief Neil Howard of Rowlett Fire said. "There are hotspots that are laying there that will go out and reignite over time."
The fire chief wants to remind the public that a fire can double in size every minute.
Crews continued to fight the fire through the weekend into Monday, Dec. 18. There were no visible flames on Monday around 11a.m. but certainly smoke.
"They can't seem to knock it out. The whole top part is pretty much demolished," said Mark Tiarania, who lives next door.
He and his girlfriend have been dealing with four days of the smoke, and getting in and out of their property has been hard.
"People asking for my license, that's probably the most annoying part," said Tiarania, who also said officials have been asking them to verify residences.
Nobody living nearby The View has been evacuated. But crews in the area for work and deliveries are waiting to see how and when this fire is finally tamed.
Rowlett fire crews are not just fighting the fire but the elements too. The wind, especially, has made it harder on firefighters.
"We are down here where we catch a lot of wind. There's no wind break. It's blowing right into the structure," said Chief Howard.
Rowlett fire crews have been rotating in. Chief Howard wants to thank nearby fire departments like Dallas, Plano, Wylie, Garland, Sachse, Richardson and others, for their help in fighting the fire.
The good news is nobody was inside and nobody was hurt. Zale Properties told WFAA there were no pre-leases sold, and they were hoping to open doors in mid-January 2024 for leases.
"We're here and we're gonna [sic] make sure we mitigate this incident until it's done," said Chief Howard.
The Rowlett Fire Department and Fire Marshalls Office will be working with ATF to determine what started the fire.