Three-Alarm Apartment Fire in Las Colinas
A three-alarm apartment fire took place Friday afternoon at the Resort near Thomas Jefferson Park. More than 40 units were damaged/destroyed and more than 80 residents were displaced. Red Cross was on the scene to provide new clothes and relief. While there are no injuries reported, some cars surrounding the place were also damaged by the heat of the blaze. This is the video I shot at the time of the incident. - Michael R.
DART's New Light Rail Times Signs
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (Official DART page) is testing their new Light Rail arrival times signs at the remaining light rail stations within DART's system that didn't have such technology. So far, the testing phase is being done at West End and Market Center Rail Stations. All others will follow suit until the entire system is integrated.
Underground Walkway to Rail Station
Michael gives a tour of the new walkway from DART's former North Irving Transit Center to their new Irving Convention Center rail station. Although N. Irving TC is no longer in operation, their parking lot is still open for customers taking the Orange Line from Irving Convention Center Station.
Pardon the cruddy audio on this camera.
Carbon Monoxide Detected at Irving Hotel
BREAKING NEWS CLOSE TO HOME: Right nextdoor, High levels of Carbon Monoxide were found in the Hyatt Place Hotel off Green Park in Irving/Las Colinas. A Hazmat team is called on, and multiple patients are transported to the Las Colinas Medical Center. Hazmat TF8 on scene investigating. All doors are left open to air out the gas. I'll keep you informed of any details as they warrant. - Michael R.
That "Sinking" Feeling
There's a "sinking" problem at one of DART's bus & rail stations in Irving as you see in this raw video compilation. A sinkhole slowly develops between the Trinity Railway Express platform and the station facility. While some DART drivers can't avoid it, others take another direction to get to their docking bays. Several factors may have caused the said sinkhole: Frequent weather elements (rain, snow, ice, etc.), and the weight of the buses themselves. If the drivers are not careful, it can be punishing to the bus.
Judging from the faint construction marks, the staff is well aware of the situation, they just need a set date & time of when they'll close it off to redo that part of the driveway. Some buses will be diverted to other spots to ensure continuous service.
This wasn't the first time that a sinkhole developed at this station (oddly enough, right at the same spot). Some Irving residents said that over the years, the city was built on a riverbed, so it is to be expected. But thankfully there's no rapid development. During the past few recent years, there were several failed attempts to cover the sinkhole (such as asphalt). While it does raise concern for a few other customers, if you regularly ride DART to South Irving Station, you should still enjoy your transportation services and make your transfers the way you normally do.
(This original video and story created by Michael R.)
