A fire ignited by sparks from a welder damaged two houses in Far North Dallas Thursday afternoon, a Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesperson said.
At 2:44 p.m., firefighters were dispatched to a two-story home in the 16700 block of Village Lane. Responders arriving at the scene saw “heavy smoke” rising from flames near the rear of the house, Jason Evans, the Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesperson, said. A large pillar of black smoke from the fire was visible for miles.
No one was inside the home at the time of the fire. A neighboring house damaged by the flames was also unoccupied at the time, Evans said.
The fire was under control at 3:38 p.m. Though the fire was “largely controlled” shortly after firefighters arrived, Dallas Fire-Rescue classified the fire as a two-alarm fire — a designation calling for more responders and resources — because of the high heat and the close proximity of the homes in the neighborhood, Evans said.
As of 4:30 p.m., 40 units had responded to the fire, according to a list of active calls on Dallas Fire-Rescue’s website.
Investigators determined the fire was “accidental in nature” and began due to sparks from welding being done on a fence near the back of the home, Evans said in a statement Thursday evening.