ABILENE, TX – More than five dozen people have found themselves without a home this week after a major fire engulfed an apartment complex in Abilene over the weekend.
According to news sources, the Abilene Fire Department was first made aware of a fire at about 6:19 a.m. at the Briarwood Apartments, located in the 3200 block of North 3rd Street in Abilene.
As fire trucks arrived at the scene, the fire was initially reported to be a 2nd alarm fire, but that was quickly upgraded to a 3rd alarm fire after it spread to multiple units. In all, at least 21 apartment units were damaged by the blaze.
The Abilene Fire Department reports that fortunately everyone was evacuated and no one was injured in the fire, but an initial assessment of the aftermath estimates the apartment complex suffered more than $500,000 worth of damage.
The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, but Abilene authorities have arrested a suspect they believe is responsible for starting it. 31-year-old Kevin Spurlock, seen in his mugshot wearing a Texas Tech t-shirt, has been booked into the Taylor County Jail.
Spurlock faces charges of arson and for making a terroristic threat to a family, but the details of his arrest and evidence in the case has not been publicly revealed yet.
Meanwhile, the Red Cross is reportedly assisting the 65 who have been displaced by the fire. There is no word yet on whether Briarwood Apartments can be salvaged or if it suffered too much structural damage and needs to be torn down.
