Smoke signals were rising early last Thursday morning as a storage facility in the South Belt / Ellington area caught fire for the second time in recent days. The Houston Fire Department was swiftly on the scene at 9993 Radio Rd. just as the clock struck 6:22 a.m. Bracing against time and smoke, the first responders were up against an already familiar adversary, an accidental fire, according to officials.
The rekindled flames were met by the unyielding forces of Station 52, along with comrades from Stations 23, 26, 70, 29, 36, 61, 93, 24, and Hazmat 22, totalling 50 personnel who worked to quickly contain and extinguish the secondary blaze. It was an unfortunate déjà vu for them, having to quickly once again force entry into the smoldering 1-story building, ventilate its choked confines, and dampen the subsequent rediscovery of fire.
While the HFD arson investigators have ruled the cause of the storage facility fire as an accident, particularly a rekindle from a previous incident, the aftermath leaves a heavy toll—an estimated $100,000 worth of damage. This information was stated in a press release found on the official website of the City of Houston. No injuries have been reported, which stands as a testament to the efficiency and promptness of the responders.
As CenterPoint was summoned to control the utilities, the scene gradually transformed from one of urgency to recovery. In a dance as meticulous as it was necessary, firefighters and arson investigators moved through the scarred remains of the storage facility, seeking to thoroughly understand the origin and manner in which this accidental inferno chose to once again visit. The South Belt / Ellington community watches on with anxious eyes, hopeful that such an incident is not to repeat itself anytime soon.
