FORT WORTH, TX – On June 23, 2025, a routine Monday afternoon turned into one of Fort Worth's worst residential disasters in 40 years. The Cooper Apartments on West Rosedale Street erupted in flames around 1:30 p.m., forcing more than 800 residents to flee with little more than the clothes on their backs. The six-alarm fire consumed Building 1 with "devastating speed and intensity," according to court documents, requiring 300 firefighters and over 30 hours to bring under control.
Nearly four months later, the human toll continues mounting. Displaced residents lost everything—belongings, documents, pets, and in many cases, their financial security. But the real story isn't just about fire damage. It's about what happens when unlicensed contractors work on critical building systems, when residents misunderstand their insurance coverage, and when property owners fail to maintain adequate protections for the people living under their roofs.
Two lawsuits filed in August 2025 now represent 116 former residents seeking over $1 million in damages from The Cooper, its owner Lightbulb Capital Group, management companies Cushman and Wakefield and RPM Living, and electrical contractor Cano Electric. The allegations reveal a cascade of failures that left hundreds of families without homes—and most without insurance to rebuild their lives.
What Happened: The Rooftop Electrical Work That Sparked Disaster
Fort Worth Fire Department investigators traced the fire's origin to an HVAC unit on the roof of Building 1. According to the fire report, an electrician from Cano Electric was replacing a breaker connected to the rooftop air conditioning unit when something went catastrophically wrong.
The sequence of events:
- The electrician, Armando Rodelo, was working on an HVAC unit breaker
- After installing a new breaker, it auto-tripped (shut off automatically)
- He disconnected the wiring to troubleshoot
- Shortly after, he smelled smoke and saw flames near the AC unit
- He called 911, but the fire had already begun spreading
The fire department concluded the blaze was "caused by an electrical anomaly with arcing"—essentially, an electrical short that created sparks and ignited nearby materials.
The lawsuit's key allegation: Rodelo was an unlicensed electrician performing work without direct supervision from a licensed professional. Texas law requires licensed electricians to supervise unlicensed workers on jobs like this. The lawsuits claim Cano Electric's owner, who held the required license, was not present at the worksite.
This isn't just a technicality. Licensed supervision exists precisely to prevent the kind of error that caused this fire. An experienced electrician would have recognized warning signs—an auto-tripping breaker indicates an electrical problem that shouldn't be ignored by simply disconnecting wires.
The Residents' Nightmare: No Insurance, No Belongings, No Options
Zaire Harris was working from his fourth-floor apartment when the fire alarm started. Twenty minutes later, he evacuated—assuming he'd return within hours. Instead, he lost everything he owned.
"Like many renters, Harris had assumed the insurance included in his lease would protect his belongings," the Fort Worth Report noted. "It didn't, he learned."
This confusion is widespread and costly.
Lauren Price, another Cooper resident, had initially purchased renters insurance when moving in. But she dropped the coverage after being told the complex provided insurance and she didn't need her own policy. When the fire destroyed her possessions, she discovered the apartment's insurance only covered the building—not residents' personal property.
Mistie Hinote, spokesperson for the Texas Department of Insurance, confirmed what many residents learned too late: "If the apartment owners are conclusively at fault, renters should contact an attorney to find out their legal rights. As far as recouping losses, tenants should contact the apartment owner."
In other words: sue or accept the loss. For families already displaced and financially strained, litigation isn't a realistic option without finding attorneys willing to work on contingency.
The Insurance Gap Most Renters Don't Know Exists
The Cooper fire exposed a fundamental misunderstanding about rental property insurance:
What apartment/property owner insurance covers:
- The building structure itself
- Common areas
- Liability for injuries on the premises
- Lost rental income during repairs
What it does NOT cover:
- Residents' personal belongings
- Residents' temporary housing costs
- Residents' loss of use
- Residents' liability for damages they cause
Renters insurance—which typically costs $15-30 per month—covers these gaps. A standard policy provides:
- $20,000-40,000 in personal property coverage
- Temporary housing/additional living expenses
- Personal liability coverage
- Medical payments for injuries to guests
For the Cooper residents who lost everything, that $20-$30 monthly premium would have meant tens of thousands of dollars in coverage to replace their possessions and pay for temporary housing.
Why the confusion? Many apartment complexes offer "liability insurance" as part of lease agreements. This protects the landlord from liability claims by residents—it doesn't protect residents' belongings. The terminology leads renters to believe they're covered when they're not.
When Contractors Cause Disasters: Who Pays?
The Cooper lawsuits raise critical questions about liability when contractors cause catastrophic damage:
The legal theory: premises liability and negligent hiring
Residents are suing not just Cano Electric (the contractor) but also:
- The Cooper Fort Worth, LLC (property owner)
- Lightbulb Capital Group (parent company)
- Cushman and Wakefield (previous management)
- RPM Living (current management)
The argument: Property owners and managers have a duty to hire qualified, licensed contractors for critical building systems. By hiring a contractor who sent unlicensed workers to perform electrical work without supervision, they breached that duty.
Why this matters: Even if Cano Electric is primarily at fault, contractors can go bankrupt or carry insufficient insurance. But property owners and management companies typically have deeper pockets and higher insurance limits—making them more viable defendants for residents seeking compensation.
The complexity: Residents must prove the apartment complex knew or should have known Cano Electric was using unlicensed workers without proper supervision. This requires discovering whether the complex verified contractor credentials before hiring them and whether proper permits were obtained.
Four Critical Lessons for Renters and Property Owners
For Renters: Protect Yourself
1. Always carry renters insurance Don't rely on explanations from apartment staff about what's covered. Purchase your own policy. At $15-30/month, it's cheaper than replacing a single laptop, much less an entire apartment's contents.
2. Document what you own Take photos or video of your possessions. Store receipts for valuable items. Keep this documentation off-site (cloud storage, email to yourself, USB drive at a relative's home). When fire strikes, you won't have time to gather evidence.
3. Understand your policy limits
- Coverage amounts for personal property
- Deductibles
- Actual cash value vs. replacement cost
- Special limits for jewelry, electronics, or collectibles
- Temporary housing/living expense coverage
4. Review coverage after major life changes Got married? Had a baby? Bought expensive equipment? Your $20,000 policy might no longer be adequate. Increase coverage when your possessions increase in value.
For Property Owners: Your Responsibilities
1. Verify contractor credentials Don't just check that a company is licensed. Verify:
- The specific person doing the work holds required licenses
- They carry adequate insurance
- Their safety record is clean
- They follow supervision requirements for unlicensed assistants
Texas allows verification through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Use it.
2. Educate residents about insurance Don't just tell residents they "should" have renters insurance. Explain exactly what your property insurance does and doesn't cover. Many complexes now require renters insurance as a lease condition—eliminating the coverage gap entirely.
3. Maintain systems proactively The Cooper fire started during maintenance work on an AC unit. Regular, professional maintenance by licensed contractors reduces the likelihood of emergencies requiring rushed repairs by whoever's available.
4. Carry adequate property owner insurance Your policy should include:
- High liability limits (consider umbrella coverage)
- Loss of income/business interruption coverage
- Code upgrade coverage (if repairs require bringing old buildings up to current code)
- Sufficient property coverage to rebuild
The Broader Picture: Contractor Licensing Enforcement
The Cooper fire highlights a systemic problem: unlicensed contractors performing work they're not qualified to do, often with minimal supervision.
Texas law is clear: unlicensed individuals can perform electrical work only under the direct supervision of a licensed electrician. "Direct supervision" typically means the licensed electrician is on-site, overseeing the work, and immediately available.
Yet enforcement is spotty. Property owners seeking the lowest bid may not thoroughly verify credentials. Contractors facing labor shortages may send whoever's available. And unlicensed workers may not recognize warning signs that licensed professionals would spot immediately.
The result: preventable disasters like the Cooper fire.
What should change:
- Stricter verification requirements before permits are issued
- Random inspections of job sites to verify licensed supervision
- Higher penalties for contractors who violate licensing requirements
- Better education for property owners about the risks of unlicensed work
Next Steps: Protecting Your Interests
If you're a renter: Call an insurance agent today. Get renters insurance. It takes 15 minutes and costs less than a dinner out. The Cooper residents wish they had.
If you're a property owner:
- Audit your contractor vetting process
- Review your insurance coverage with your agent
- Consider requiring renters insurance in your leases
- Maintain building systems proactively
If you're a contractor: Follow licensing laws. The Cooper fire will likely result in significant liability for Cano Electric—potentially including criminal charges if prosecutors determine negligence rises to that level. No job is worth that risk.
The Cooper fire destroyed more than buildings. It disrupted 800 lives, displaced families, killed pets, and eliminated irreplaceable possessions. It also exposed how fragile our safety net is when we don't understand insurance, when contractors cut corners, and when property owners fail to protect the people living in their buildings.
Don't wait for disaster to reveal your coverage gaps. Fix them now.
Source: Fort Worth Fire Department, Fort Worth Report, Star-Telegram, Texas Department of Insurance