Four firefighters die in 5-alarm hotel fire in southwest Houston
Four firefighters die in 5-alarm hotel fire in southwest Houston
Four firefighters died in a five-alarm blaze that broke out at a restaurant Friday afternoon along U.S. 59 in southwest Houston, according to the mayor's office.
"I can confirm four firefighters have passed away, and we cannot release their names at this juncture," said HFD Chief Terry Garrison, who was meeting with families of the fallen.
Five firefighters were also reported injured, two critically, while fighting the blaze.
Initial reports say several firefighters suffered heat exhaustion and one firefighter injured his leg. Some were reported missing but have since been located.
The fire broke out at Bhojan Restaurant at 6855 Southwest Freeway at about 12:09 p.m. and engulfed the neighboring Southwest Inn along the Southwest Freeway near Hornwood, according to the Houston Fire Department. The flames also burned a sports bar and disco.
Jeff Caynon, president of the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association, said he understood from field reports that the firefighters had been injured in a roof collapse.
"The roof collapsed. I don't know if that was folks outside next to the structure or inside when it collapsed, but the collapse is going to be the cause," Caynon said.
Houston Fire Department Chief Ruy Lozano said there are more than 100 firefighters on the scene and many of them became dehydrated. Metro buses were called out to serve as cooling stations.
Martha Lopez, the front desk clerk at the Southwest Inn said a restaurant employee ran into the hotel saying a fire had started in the restaurant. The two began knocking on doors and windows telling guests to get out of the hotel.
Lopez said the hotel can accommodate 100 guests and had 45 registered at the time of the fire.
One of the guests, Sammy Sewell, 29, had been staying at the hotel for last six months. He said he walked out of his room and heard yelling.
He turned a corner, saw three women screaming and running at him down a hallway and then heard three blasts.
"Next thing you know, it was 'boom!' It scared the crap out of me. I mean, it sounded like a cannon going off. That's how loud it was," Sewell said. "I could have sworn it picked this building up and put it back down."
Chief Lozano said the wind is making it hard to get the blaze under control.
The blaze sent black smoke billowing over the freeway, causing traffic to slow in the area.
Three lanes are blocked on U.S. 59 at the scene of the fire and traffic is backed up inbound from Bissonnet to Hillcroft, according to Houston Transtar. Motorists are advised to avoid the area.
It was unclear what sparked the blaze.
Caynon said being a firefighter "is a hazardous job from the time we respond to the time we make it on location, whether it's a medical call all the way up to and including fires. There are hazardous all along the way, and there are a lot of variables when a structure is on fire."
Four firefighters die in 5-alarm hotel fire in southwest Houston
http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Four-firefighters-die-in-5-alarm-hotel-fire-in-4566085.php
John Hames
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