A two-alarm fire tore through a southwest Houston apartment complex Friday afternoon, killing a woman and sending residents scrambling to escape as wind-whipped flames raced across connected roofs. The Houston Fire Department said the first 911 call came in around 4:52 p.m. from the Westmount at Braesridge complex on Braesridge Drive near West Bellfort and Fondren, and crews soon upgraded the incident to a second alarm, according to Click2Houston. SkyEye footage and on-the-ground crews showed flames chewing across multiple rooftops as firefighters worked to stop the spread.
Fire Spread and Fatality
When firefighters arrived, they found heavy smoke and flames pouring from the roof of one building. Strong winds helped push the blaze into two neighboring structures, and part of a building later collapsed. Crews searching the debris found a woman in the rubble, Houston Chronicle reports. Officials have not released her name, and the origin and cause of the fire remain under investigation.
Damage, Injuries and Displacement
Deputy Chief Bryan Sky-Eagle estimated that roughly 20 to 30 units were damaged, leaving multiple elderly residents without homes, according to FOX 26 Houston. Two residents were treated for smoke inhalation and evaluated at area hospitals, and officials said no firefighters were injured during the response, per KPRC Click2Houston.
Aid, Safety and Next Steps
The American Red Cross and other relief groups responded to assist displaced tenants as crews overhauled the burned-out units. The Houston Fire Department also used the incident as a reminder for residents to test their smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and highlighted its "Get Alarmed Houston!" program, which can provide free 10-year detectors to qualifying households. For details on requesting an alarm, officials direct residents to the HFD public-education page at the Houston Fire Department.
