A severe fire has caused significant damage to the Oaks of Westchase apartment complex on Wallingford Drive near the Sam Houston Tollway, with emergency crews working tirelessly to control the blaze that affected nine units and whose origin point is believed to be the attic; officials are currently investigating the cause of the fire, according to KHOU.
In a related incident, a massive blaze had also torn through a building within the same Westchase locale, leaving dozens of residents homeless, Click2Houston reported.
Although no injuries were reported, the speed at which the fire spread was alarming, the flames rapidly engulfing the affected building, and all residents were able to safely evacuate as the first responders arrived at the scene, "I think we did a pretty good job, we showed up and the fire was obviously way ahead of us, so we switched to a defensive operation as soon as we confirmed everyone was out of the building," District Chief Robert Ross told KHOU. Witnesses across the street watched with concern as the building was swallowed by flames, with bystander Winter Johnson expressing hope for the displaced families: "I hope everyone got out okay, and that they’re able to replace their lives. They lost their whole [belongings], I’m hoping they are able to heal from all this, it is destruction basically, it’s a tragedy for some people," Johnson said.
One victim, Leslie Traore, shared her experience with Click2Houston, saying, "We were just in the apartment when our neighbor came running, yelling that there was a fire." Despite the quick response, she and her family lost items of emotional value, including her husband's and dog's ashes, and her granddaughter's graduation cap and gown.
The Red Cross has stepped in to assist the displaced, helping them find shelter and begin the process of rebuilding their lives. Arson investigators are working to determine the cause of fire.
