Meyerland apartment fire: Broken hydrant causes issues, partial roof collapse
Fire damages Houston apartments; lack of water source allowed flames to spread
About 50 people were displaced overnight after a fire broke out at an apartment complex in Houston's Meyerland area. FOX 26's Jade Flury gives the details, including why officials say a lack of a water source allowed the fire to spread.
HOUSTON - A fire damaged multiple apartment units and displaced dozens of people at an apartment complex in Meyerland on Thursday morning, according to Houston Fire Department.
Deputy Chief Shift Commander Bryan Sky-Eagle reports units received a call about heavy smoke and fire at apartments located on Braesvalley Drive near Renwick around 2:30 a.m.
Fire reported at Meyerland-area apartment
What we know:
When they arrived, firefighters noticed there was an active evacuation going on with mostly elderly and disabled residents. Other neighbors and even the firefighters began to help them leave the area near the apartment.
According to Sky-Eagle, one of the issues they ran into was the incoming storm which pushed the smoke from the fire down onto them, making it harder to see.
Plus, they were delayed getting water acces because there was no hydrant inside the building and the hydrant on the street was broken. Sky-Eagle says firefighter had to run heavy lines down the road.
When the fire reached the roof, Sky-Eagle stated there were no dividers, so the fire ended up running two ways and damaging three different buildings. This caused the fire to become difficult for firefighters to get ahead of and stop.
There were issues with partial collapse in some parts of the home due to structural integrity.
Courtesy of OnScene TV Houston
METRO and the American Red Cross were called to help displaced residents who are now without a home.
No injuries have been reported at this time.
About 50 people across 20 units were inside the apartment and are now displaced.
What we don't know:
The cause of the fire is still being investigated.
The Source: Information provided by Deputy Chief Shift Commander Bryan Sky-Eagle at the scene.