Frustrated tenants take action one month after Fort Worth apartment fire

CBS News

4 days ago

One month after a six-alarm fire ripped through The Cooper Apartments in Fort Worth, tenants on Wednesday began taking matters into their own hands. Some residents entered the building and tossed belongings from a second-floor balcony.
"It has been awfully frustrating," said Parker Perego. "I spent a month living in my parents' guestroom until I finally was able to find a new place in. Now that I have a new place, I don't have much of anything to put in it because it's all locked upstairs."
Antonio Busby was one of at least two dozen tenants who protested outside the complex Wednesday, hoping to get answers from the Cooper management team about when they would be allowed to recover their belongings. The fire displaced more than 800 tenants, including Busby.
"I feel like it's unacceptable," Busby said. "I feel like they're more concerned with their own liability before the well-being of their own tenants."
Tenant Miriam Zarza is still missing her three pets that were inside the building when the fire happened.
"Like I'm devastated. I don't want kids. These were my kids. These were my only babies. I've been having them since they were born. It's just a very heartbreaking experience," said Zarza.
After 30 days of tenant demands, the management team finally provided some answers. In a statement to CBS News Texas, a spokesperson said that starting Monday, they will "begin reaching out to each resident individually to discuss next steps relative to their personal belongings."
"That's very surprising. It seems like they're trying to make a good face for show rather than getting with the residents and letting them know what the timeline is," said Busby. "So, that's pretty shocking to me. I'm glad to hear it, but I wish it had come from the rental property and the Light Bulb Capital Group rather than coming from you right now."
The Cooper management team added that, given the size of the community, the process will take time, but they will provide tenants with regular updates.
While Zarza said the news of being allowed back inside her apartment provides some relief, it doesn't bring back her pets or ease the frustration she and others have felt over the past month.
"I'll believe it when I see it. They've been saying that since the week of the fire, and we have not gotten updates," Zarza said. "So honestly, I'll just believe it when I see it."