A fire broke out at the River Park Apartments in North Dallas on Tuesday, but no injuries were reported in the incident.
Jason Evans, public information officer for Dallas Fire-Rescue, told The Dallas Express that units were assigned to a 9-1-1 call for a structure fire at the apartment complex at 9:41 a.m.
“When firefighters arrived at the two-story apartment building, they observed smoke and flames coming from the first floor of the building,” he said.
“Initial reports indicated that everyone was out of the apartment, but a separate 911 caller indicating that a baby could be heard crying resulted in a second-alarm response,” he told The Dallas Express. “Thankfully, the reports were inaccurate, and firefighters were eventually able to extinguish the flames.”
While the expected rescue operations for the baby were not needed, Evans added that firefighters did rescue a puppy.
Between 45 and 55 firefighters were called to the scene, according to Evans.
The fire started inside a first-floor apartment, with at least three people inside when it began — a mother and her two children. Evans told The Dallas Express that all three people were able to make it out safely.
While the fire began in a first-floor apartment, it spread to the second floor. According to investigators, the fire was accidental—resulting from a burning candle left in a closet.
“The candle ignited non-specific combustibles and grew beyond control,” Evans said to The Dallas Express. “The fire was mostly contained to the apartment of origin, with some fire extension getting into the unit directly above, leaving at least two units uninhabitable.”
