A fire incident in southeast Houston has left a Houston Fire Department captain hospitalized with burns after becoming briefly trapped during a house fire, as detailed by Deputy Chief Roger Westhoff. ABC13 reports that the mishap occurred around 12:30 a.m. today when fire crews, responding to a call about smoke off Botany and Leitrim, entered the premises under the impression that someone might still be inside the building.
While the interior search was underway the situation escalated, forcing the team to evacuate. Westhoff said in a statement obtained by ABC13, "They decided to leave, and as they were leaving, they got a little bound up going out the door, and they had to evacuate through a window." It was during this hurried exit that the captain sustained injuries and initiated a mayday call for help due to the intensifying heat.
The captain was subsequently taken to the hospital for medical attention following the incident, and although initial concerns suggested that there could be an occupant within the home, no one was found upon later inspection, according to a report by FOX26 Houston. The cause of the fire remains unclear; investigators have not yet determined what ignited the blaze, but there is a suspect currently being questioned over potential arson involvement.
