An early morning blaze engulfed an apartment in the Greater Inwood area yesterday, causing residents to scramble as smoke filled the building. According to a report by the Houston Fire Department, firefighters received the call at 8:43 a.m. and raced to the scene at 5350 W. Gulf Bank Rd. where they encountered smoke billowing from a 2-story structure. Firefighters managed to subdue the flames quickly, focusing their efforts on a vacant unit on the first floor where the fire was concentrated.
No injuries were reported from the incident, a stroke of luck for residents and emergency personnel alike. While the fire was limited to one apartment unit, the smoke wasn't so confined; it permeated through the adjacent apartments, prompting firefighters to deploy fans to dispel the haze. A total of 33 firefighters from Stations 58, 31, 13, 50, 67, and 4 responded. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, the Houston Fire Department says, the team's urgency was crucial in preventing further damage or casualties.
Determining the origin and cause of the fire has been left to the expertise of the HFD Arson investigators, who were called to the scene once the immediate danger had been neutralized. The rapid reaction of firefighters, who took a mere six minutes to arrive after being alerted, is being credited for the fire’s containment. Property saved and the cost of damage are yet to be assessed at this time.
