Abilenians weigh in on the dangers of older apartment buildings

ABILENE, Texas ( KTAB/KRBC ) — Abilene has seen an influx of older apartment buildings go up in flames, raising eyebrows about the correlation between the destruction and the complex’s age.

On Monday, a fire at Spanish Arms Apartments left one resident without a home. Joseph Atkins saw his apartment complex up in flames for the second time.

“It was just so fast I couldn’t get my cat. Unfortunately, he’s passed away now, and I couldn’t get anything,” Atkins said.

Searching through the rubbish after the dust had settled, he found his mother’s urn, a picture of his daughter, a minion blanket, a bible and a backpack. The only belongings he has left.

According to Abilene Fire Department Public Information Officer Lindsay Fletcher, older apartments present a higher fire risk due to outdated construction standards, especially in the attic.

“We’re dealing with different construction requirements from when they were built. Now, modern buildings are required to have a firewall between each unit, and it goes all the way up to the roof. So the fire can’t spread past the unit very easily. In the older buildings, it’s an open attic space, a shared attic space, so that smoke and the flames can go through the entire building,” Fletcher explained.

In terms of prevention, Fletcher said it is up to the tenant to be vigilant and ask the hard questions to the property owner.

“It’s up to the building manager and the property manager, but they could install sprinkler systems. This all depends on what they’re comfortable with or the amount of money they’re willing to spend,” Fletcher said. “You’re going to want to educate yourself on fire safety. Make sure your neighbors are educated. Unfortunately, in an apartment fire, if you start a fire, if your neighbor starts a fire, that’s going to affect more than yourself.”

Atkins chose to live in older buildings because they are more affordable. Now, with his car as his last resort option for a bed, he says the cost is not worth the risk.

“I would never recommend anyone to move into anything old because it’s just a disaster for something like this to happen no matter what,” Atkins said.

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