A man’s body was found two days after a large apartment fire sent two other people to a hospital and displaced more than 20, Dallas Fire-Rescue officials said.
Keith Estes, 77, was found inside the apartment complex in the 9900 block of Whitehurst Drive on New Year’s Eve, according to the Dallas County medical examiner’s office. Firefighters did not receive a missing report for Estes, who lived alone, according to Jason Evans, a DFR spokesperson.
When family members could not get in touch with Estes, they asked for a welfare check, Evans said. The body of the 77-year-old was found during the welfare check in an area covered by heavy debris, he said
When firefighters arrived at the apartment complex around 1:50 a.m. on Dec. 28 , they saw flames coming from the three-story building.
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Firefighters began search-and-rescue operations after learning some residents were still inside the apartment building.
Firefighters were able to rescue five people trapped inside, and several others escaped through windows, Evans said.
A second alarm was called because the structure was unstable. Fire crews were told to exit and the the building was deemed unsafe to continue searching for people, Evans said
Firefighters continued to battle the flames from outside the apartment building using aerial ladder pipes, along with ground and hand lines.
The fire was declared out at 4:35 a.m.
More than 20 residents were assisted by the American Red Cross while at the scene. Two residents were taken to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, according to Evans.
Firefighters believe the fire started accidentally when combustible materials were left too close to a heat source, according to Evans. The fire spread to the roof before spreading across the entire attic space.