Houston fire: 20 families homeless after Galleria apartment fire
HOUSTON - At least 20 families are homeless after a fire ripped through their apartment building on Wednesday. It happened at Stonehaven at the Galleria Apartments on Skyline Drive.
"The building is a total loss," said Captain Sedrick Robinett, of the Houston Police Department.
SUGGESTED: Houston fire: 20 families displaced following 3-alarm fire in West Houston
A massive fire ravaged the Galleria apartment complex, leaving over 65 people without a home.
The 3-alarm fire took the help of 100 firefighters to put out the flames. Miraculously, none of the firefighters or people living in the complex were injured.
A mother said she was in her apartment with her daughter when someone came to her door alerting them that the apartment was on fire.
"I was inside and did not know. Everything was one fire. I said, God what happened? You could feel the pressure. It was a lot," said the resident. "Sometimes I am afraid it’s true or not. My mind was blank. I did not react. Should I leave or not? It’s a very hard moment.
Caught off guard, the family fled for their lives, leaving everything behind.
"No, no, we were not able to. Like I said, they did not let us go inside, because the fire was so strong," said the resident.
The fire reduced the once vibrant building to a shell of blackened walls and hollow windows.
"But honestly, with everything that happened, we couldn’t sleep. We are worried because it's not easy to rebuild and get back up from all the losses. It’s takes time to," said the resident.
The Houston Fire Department said they're working with public works to demolish the building.
Houston firefighters will walk the neighborhood on Friday with safety literature and talk with residents about the importance of working smoke detectors, home escape plans, and fire prevention.
The American Red Cross Texas Gulf Coast is working to help the displaced families. They say those affected can connect with the Red Cross caseworkers in the coming days to work on a long-term recovery plan.