Dozens of displaced residents from a Fort Worth apartment complex are suing the apartment's owners, its former and current property management and electricians alleging they are responsible for a six-fire alarm that broke out in June.
In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, 49 residents of The Cooper Apartments claim recklessness and negligence from unlicensed electricians caused the disaster that left more than 800 residents without homes.
"Flames consumed the structure with devastating speed and intensity," the suit read. "[Residents] were forced to flee their homes without warning, leaving behind cherished belongings, essential documents, and beloved pets. In many cases, they escaped with only the clothes on their backs."
The suit claims the fire erupted when an unlicensed electrician from Cano Electric was replacing a breaker that led to a rooftop HVAC unit on Building 1. The electrician was following directions from the company's licensed owner, but was not supervising the work, according to the suit.
KERA reached out to the attorney for the residents, the apartment complex, its owners and management and Cano Electric and will update this story with any response.
The suit is seeking $1 million in damages.
The fire broke out June 23, engulfing Building 1 into flames and forcing Building 1 and 2 tenants to evacuate. An initial investigation by the Fort Worth Fire Department attributed the cause of the fire to an electrical problem with the complex’s air conditioning system, according to a fire report. Investigators found that the fire originated around an air conditioning unit on the roof.
The suit claims the fire was a direct result of negligent electrical work by one of the electric company’s workers and took more than 30 hours and 300 firefighters to bring the flames under control.
Tenants have since organized protests and meetings demanding transparency from the company about the state of the apartment complex’s two buildings and to know when and how tenants may retrieve their belongings.
The suit also claims in late July property management changed from Cushman & Wakefield to RPM Living, but residents were still denied access to the complex to retrieve any salvaged personal belongings.
Shortly after, RPM Living — the apartment’s current property management — allowed Building 2 tenants four hours to access their unit if they signed a waiver releasing liability, warning them of “numerous dangers, including cancer-causing compounds, smoke, debris, and mold caused by fire-fighting water damage,” according to the suit.
Building 1 residents also received a notice they wouldn’t be allowed back into their units due to the extensive damage and hazardous mold, and other contaminants, the suit alleges.
And, the suit claims, their belongings were contaminated with “toxic materials” and they would have to pay a third-party licensed vendor to retrieve and decontaminate their items.
“These residents have been effectively forced to rebuild their lives from the ground up, through no fault of their own,” the suit reads.
Penelope Rivera is KERA’s breaking news reporter. Got a tip? Email Penelope Rivera at privera@kera.org.
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