Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Editor’s note: This story was updated March 17 with more information about the fire and injured firefighters.
Two Dallas Fire-Rescue firefighters were injured in a fire Thursday morning at the old Valley View Mall.
Firefighters responded to a 911 call for a structure fire at the old shopping center, located at 13331 Preston Road, at 4:37 a.m.
The first firefighters to arrive saw heavy smoke and fire conditions and requested a second alarm, Dallas Fire-Rescue Public Information Officer Jason Evans said. They also saw multiple spot fires.
While the firefighters were working, one of them became trapped by the fire but was quickly rescued. That person has burn injuries, and another sustained musculoskeletal injuries while working to rescue the other firefighter. Both were taken to a local hospital, though none of the injuries were life-threatening.
As of 2 p.m. March 17, both firefighters had been discharged from the hospital.
Firefighters were in defensive mode earlier in the morning, when it was still dark, but as it got brighter and firefighters could better see the inside, they moved back in. As of 11:20 a.m., the fire was mostly under control, Evans said, but firefighters are still extinguishing hot spots.
The cause of the fire is classified as undetermined. Investigators could not make a conclusive determination of the initial heat source or identify the first materials that were ignited, Evans said. Their findings could be changed or supplemented with new information.
In February, another fire was reported at Valley View Mall, near the old AMC theater. It took almost four hours to extinguish the fire.
For months, stakeholders have been pushing for demolition to be complete at the site, to make way for development as part of the Dallas International District. The 450-acre area in North Dallas is planned to become a live-work-play district, complete with residences, a park, a Dallas ISD school, and retail and office spaces, among other amenities.
