Fort Smith, Ark. – After returning from an earlier fire and barely having time to reload their equipment, Fort Smith firefighters were dispatched again—this time to a structure fire at an eight-unit row apartment complex.
The blaze began in a single apartment but quickly extended into the building’s shared attic space.
Firefighters faced a significant challenge: the attic had been constructed before modern fire-blocking codes were in place, allowing flames to spread more easily between units.
Despite the conditions, fire crews acted swiftly and decisively. Interior and exterior teams worked in tandem to stop the blaze from advancing beyond the initial area.
Thanks to their fast and aggressive response, fire damage was limited to the apartment where the fire originated and one adjacent unit. The remaining six apartments were spared from fire damage.
Many of the responding firefighters had already battled a previous fire earlier in the day, enduring the heat of the intense June sun. Their persistence and teamwork were key in preventing what could have been a far more devastating loss.