The pre-dawn blaze at The Garrison apartments displaced residents and damaged all 36 units in the three-story building.
DALLAS, TX — Five people were rescued and two were taken to hospitals early Sunday when a two-alarm fire swept through a three-story apartment building in the Lake Highlands area, Dallas Fire-Rescue said. Crews were dispatched about 1:50 a.m. to The Garrison apartments on Whitehurst Drive and battled flames for hours before declaring the blaze out shortly after 4:30 a.m.
Authorities said the fire moved quickly from a first-floor balcony up the exterior wall into the roof and across the attic, forcing firefighters to shift from interior searches to a defensive aerial attack as conditions deteriorated. The American Red Cross is assisting displaced residents. The incident comes during a stretch of cold weather and holiday travel, with many tenants at home overnight. Investigators said the cause appears accidental, tied to combustible materials left near a heat source. Officials have not released the names of the hospitalized residents or updated their conditions.
Firefighters arrived to find heavy fire and smoke venting from the roofline of the building at 9911 Whitehurst Dr., according to fire officials at the scene. After initial search-and-rescue operations began, incident command struck a second alarm around 2 a.m., summoning additional engines and ladder trucks. Crews briefly evacuated the structure for safety and deployed elevated streams to knock down the most intense flames. The fire was declared out at about 4:35 a.m., but companies stayed on scene for hours extinguishing hot spots and checking for extension. Residents described a chaotic scramble as the fire grew, with some people climbing out of windows to escape. “I heard three loud booms and saw people running toward the building,” resident Richard Grendenoll said. Another tenant, Cataylah McDougle, said she heard screaming and saw a woman who had jumped from a third-floor window.
Dallas Fire-Rescue said five people were rescued from inside the building. Two were transported to local hospitals; officials characterized the injuries as minor in initial updates but did not provide further details Sunday evening. The building housed 36 apartments, and all were left uninhabitable because of fire, smoke or water damage, according to preliminary assessments. At least 20 people were displaced, though officials said the final number could change as property managers account for tenants who were away during the holidays. Investigators said the fire originated on a first-floor balcony where combustibles were too close to a heat source, then climbed the exterior to the roof before racing through the attic. No firefighter injuries were reported. Damage estimates were not immediately available.
The Garrison complex sits in a densely populated stretch of Northeast Dallas, where several multi-building apartment properties line Whitehurst Drive near Skillman Street. Lake Highlands has seen several significant apartment fires in recent years, including wind-driven roof fires that spread rapidly once flames reached attic voids. Fire officials have repeatedly noted that older garden-style buildings with shared attic spaces can carry flames laterally across multiple units if fire breaches the roofline. Sunday’s response included aerial master streams and drone overflights to spot hidden hot spots in the roof structure before companies returned to interior overhaul. Neighbors said the smoke column was visible from blocks away, and traffic along nearby arterials was limited while hoses crossed roadways.
Fire investigators said the blaze appears accidental, with no early signs of criminal activity. A formal cause determination and damage estimate will be completed after interviews with residents and a review of physical evidence from the origin area. City code inspectors are expected to evaluate the building this week to determine structural stability and whether emergency shoring is required. Property managers told responders that all tenants from the affected building had been accounted for by late morning. The Red Cross said it was arranging short-term lodging and assistance for displaced residents. Any insurance adjusters representing the complex are expected on-site early this week, and crews will continue fire watch overnight to prevent rekindling.
Residents who returned to the complex later Sunday described charred balconies and a collapsed roof section spanning much of the structure’s length. “It went up so fast,” said Grendenoll, who watched firefighters switch from interior lines to ladder pipes as flames cut across the eaves. McDougle said the noise and smoke drew people from adjacent buildings who began knocking on doors. Several families gathered in the parking lot wrapped in blankets distributed by volunteers as dawn approached. Pet carriers, plastic bins and suitcases were stacked along the curb while maintenance workers helped recover medications and documents from undamaged units under firefighter escort.
As of Monday morning, investigators had not released the identities of the hospitalized residents or a final displacement total. Dallas Fire-Rescue said updates on cause and damage estimates are expected after additional interviews and a site walk-through early this week. Crews planned periodic checks of the scene overnight, with a formal investigator update anticipated by midweek.
Author note: Last updated December 29, 2025.