Fort Worth firefighters battle Hulen Mall fire, causing evacuation Friday night

Fort Worth firefighters quickly controlled a two-alarm fire at Hulen Mall on Friday night, and shoppers and employees were evacuated from the building.

There have been no reports of injuries.

The call came in to the mall’s address at 4800 S. Hulen St. at 7:14 p.m.

The Fort Worth Fire Department posted on social media at 7:35 p.m. that the fire was at two alarms. “The mall is being evacuated and people are being asked to avoid the area,” the fire department said. “Please be careful of hose lines and first responders on scene.”

Firefighters worked to extinguish the fire from both the interior and the roof of the building.

At 7:59 p.m., the department said the fire was under control but firefighters were still working at the scene.

Video posted to social media showed flames that appeared to be coming through the roof near the Red Robin restaurant, which is on the first floor of the mall close to Macy’s.

There were rumors of an explosion, but fire department spokesperson Craig Trojacek said the loud sound was from a skylight shattering and falling to the ground.

One shopper, Colin Orcutt, said that he and his family were in the Torrid store in the Macy’s wing when they heard glass breaking and employees screaming, “Fire! Get out!” When they were leaving the store, they saw a broken skylight and orange flames above the shops on the second floor, he said.

Fort Worth firefighters respond to a two-alarm fire at Hulen Mall on Friday night, June 27. Shoppers and employees were evacuated from the mall.

The cause is under investigation, but fire department spokesperson Kyle Clay said they believe it may have been accidental and related to roofing repairs at the mall.

Burn damage was reported on the roof, with a burned spot about 30 feet in diameter, and there is believed to be water damage at a few stores, Clay said.

Howard Stain was just about to get his hair cut at Luxury Grooming Lounge when he heard something big.

“I’m laid back in the chair and I hear like a boom,” he said over the thrum of the idling fire trucks outside the mall. “I was relaxed.”

But another loud noise convinced him and his barber, TyRon Brown, they needed to evacuate.

Things were hectic in the mall, Stain, 45, said, with lots of frightened people running to the exits.

Fort Worth firefighters and police respond to a two-alarm fire at Hulen Mall on Friday night, June 27. Shoppers and employees were evacuated from the mall.

Layla Frances, 20, of Weatherford, was with a friend in the food court when the fire started. They just saw people running and screaming, but didn’t know why.

“So at first we felt like it was either like a shooter or something,” she said. “It was really scary, because it was like nobody knew exactly what was going on.”

After getting to safety through an employee exit, they hung around watching firefighters on the roof of the mall.

About 16 fire trucks responded. The department initially called for a third alarm but then realized it wouldn’t be needed, Clay said.

Fort Worth firefighters respond to a two-alarm fire at Hulen Mall on Friday night, June 27. Shoppers and employees were evacuated from the mall.