Cleanup underway following three-alarm fire at southwest Houston business complex
Houston building fire: Fire crews monitor for possible collapse
A three-alarm fire destroyed an office building near the beltway and Bellaire Boulevard. FOX 26's Jade Flury speaks to a Houston fire official and a resident who lives near the scene of the fire.
Three-alarm fire on West Sam Houston Parkway
What we know:
HOUSTON - A massive office building fire has left multiple businesses displaced.
The fire happened around 5:25 p.m. at a business complex near Bellaire Boulevard and West Sam Houston Parkway. It took the Houston Fire Department about three hours to put out the fire.
Even 17 hours after the event, HFD was still on the scene investigating the incident. They said it took over 120 firefighters to put out the blaze.
The Houston Fire Department said there were water supply issues while they were working the scene.
"Because of the intensity of the fire, the size of the fire, things like that, we attempted to run multiple hoses off of that hydrant, and we didn’t have the pressure to support that line," said Brent Taylor, the communications director for the Houston Fire Department.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but Houston fire officials say they pinpointed where it likely started.
"The initial call came on a check for fire around an electrical panel of some sort. Doesn’t necessarily mean that the fire was electrical, but it was something that they were looking at," said Taylor.
RELATED: Houston three-alarm fire: Southwest Houston building at risk for collapse
Houston building at-risk for collapse after fire
A building in southwest Houston is at risk of collapsing after a three-alarm fire burned for hours and is still under watch by officials Thursday morning. FOX 26's Shelby Rose has an update to what officials are saying.
"All the neighbors just watch and worry"
What they're saying:
"I see the people running this way," said Kathy Tao, a resident who lives in a nearby condominium. "All the neighbors just watch and worry, but we try to keep a distance away, you know. It’s kind of frightening, scary really."
Tao lives about 12 feet from the business complex.
"Luckily, we are okay," she said.
Businesses relocating
What's next:
Businesses inside the building are now having to relocate because of the damaged structure. One of the businesses that had to move was Metro City Bank.
"No one expected anything like that. We love this place and everything was going really well and this happened so suddenly," said Janie Leung, the senior vice president of Metro City Bank.
The bank moved into the building in December 2024. A few months later, their business was burned by the fire.
"The great thing is that no one got hurt, so that’s great, but at the same time, it will cause a very inconvenient for the customers. So that’s one thing. Hopefully, they understand," said Leung.
Three-alarm Houston fire forces businesses to relocate
Metro City Bank was one of many businesses that were located in the office building that was destroyed in Wednesday's fire. One employee shared her thoughts with FOX 26's Jade Flury.
The Source: FOX 26's Jade Flury spoke with a resident who lives near the fire site, an employee who worked at the building, and HPD Communications Director Brent Taylor