Fort Worth's top firefighter opens up about investigation into hotel explosion that rocked downtown

WFAA
Author: Scoop Jefferson
Published: 6:59 PM CST January 16, 2024

FORT WORTH, Texas — Seconds after this explosion at the Sandman Hotel in downtown Fort Worth, people inside a hotel elevator called 911 for help. 

The Fort Worth Fire Department is in charge of getting to the bottom of the cause of the blast. 

Atmos says it determined during the investigation that its systems did not cause the blast.  As the lead investigating agency, Fort Worth Fire Chief Jim Davis told WFAA that he is 100% confident about their investigation based on what they've learned so far. Despite the holiday, Davis says he and his team have been meeting all weekend to determine the next steps they will take. 

"We are going to be able to at least identify how and where this occurred," Davis said.

Davis says he feels a responsibility to the public and is using resources from multiple agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). 

He expects the investigation could take up to six months. The building has been determined sturdy enough to enter, officials say, but the FWFD and its investigating partners are using extreme caution. Davis says there is still evidence to recover from the debris.

"Every time we move debris, we want to make sure what we move does not create an unsafe condition," said Davis. "The very first thing in a situation like this is you try to gather as much information as possible to determine whether this was purposeful or not."

The fire chief says he's heard from people downtown about feeling unsafe, but the response to the explosion is something they have trained for, ranging from smaller mock incidents to larger ones. They have also learned from tabletop exercises about how to successfully execute search and rescues. 

Making sure another explosion doesn't happen is part of the burden of being the city's top firefighter. 

"And I accept that burden," said Davis, "And the fire department accepts that burden. Everybody wants to get to a cause, so we can get to a solution, and we can give an assurance to the public that these buildings are safe, the gas is safe, and that this is taken seriously."