Grapevine firefighters help family recover after duplex fire destroys home

Firefighters' union joined neighbors in supporting a single father after the family lost everything to smoke and water damage.

A Grapevine single father and his two young sons are beginning the difficult process of rebuilding after a duplex fire left their home unlivable.

Jordan Ceman said he returned home from work last Tuesday, smelled smoke and then saw flames.

Ceman said he tried to put out the fire before firefighters arrived.

“I tried to put it out myself before the fire department got there and burned all the fingers on my left hand,” Ceman said.

Ceman escaped safely. His two sons were not home at the time of the fire, and neither was the family's next-door neighbor.

Grapevine firefighters, with assistance from Southlake firefighters, battled the attic fire in sweltering heat. Neighbors captured video showing exhausted crews after the fire as firefighters worked to keep the flames from spreading.

Ceman said he initially believed the situation was under control before seeing firefighters rush into action.

“I was under the impression everything was good, and everything was okay, but then all of a sudden I saw people panicking and running. And I think one of the firefighters had passed out,” Ceman said.

Southlake Fire confirmed one firefighter felt faint during the response, was treated and released, and returned to work later that night.

Although the fire was contained, Ceman said his family lost everything because of smoke and water damage.

“My neighbor started that GoFundMe for us, and everybody has come through for us,” Ceman said.

The GoFundMe continued to grow after receiving an unexpected donation from the Grapevine Firefighters Union.

“Blew me away. I couldn't even believe it when I saw it,” Ceman said.

Grapevine Firefighters Union President Jarred Irby said supporting families in need is part of the union's ongoing outreach efforts. He said the organization has helped families during the holidays and is finalizing a scholarship fund for the school district.

“Some of the members pointed this out and I was like, 'Hey, let's, I mean, this seems like a good thing to do,'” Irby said.

Irby said the union is committed to serving the community beyond emergency calls.

“We're involved in the community. We're here all the time just trying to do anything we can to help out,” Irby said.

Ceman said the family did not have renters insurance and is especially thankful for the firefighters who responded to the fire.

“You guys were so fast and so on point and you knew exactly what you were doing,” Ceman said.

As the family looks ahead, Ceman said the support from firefighters and neighbors has given them hope.

“Our biggest concern is just rebuilding, starting over and going from there. And that alone is amazing,” Ceman said.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC DFW. AI tools helped convert the story into a digital article, and an NBC DFW journalist edited it again before publication.