Before sunrise Wednesday, a quiet stretch of Glenwolde Drive just north of Bissonnet Street in southwest Houston turned into a scene of chaos when flames tore through a single-family home, pushing several adults out into the street and blanketing the block in thick smoke. Neighbors say everyone inside made it out before fire crews pulled up, but a woman was burned and rushed to the hospital as firefighters battled the blaze and then stuck around to make sure it did not flare back up.
Firefighters were called out around 1:15 a.m. and arrived to find heavy fire already chewing through the house. Within about 10 minutes, witnesses and officials told reporters, flames were shooting an estimated 12 to 20 feet above the roofline. Crews went to work keeping the fire from jumping to neighboring homes while conducting searches and helping the shaken residents at the scene. One woman with burns to her leg was taken to a hospital, and crews stayed on Glenwolde into the morning, knocking down stubborn hot spots, according to KHOU.
What the Houston Fire Department Says
The Houston Fire Department is using the incident as a reminder that working smoke alarms can buy precious seconds when a fire takes off, since flames and toxic smoke can spread fast. The city’s Fire Marshal’s Office is responsible for digging into how and where fires start, and the department posts contact information for tips, safety resources, and media questions on its official site, according to the Houston Fire Department.
Investigation Into the Origin
Officials at the scene told reporters they believe the fire began with cooking equipment in the garage, and that arson investigators responded to sort out the official cause. For now, authorities are not saying how much damage the fire caused or whether the house can be lived in again. Investigators are expected to release more details as they move forward with the case, as reported by KHOU.
Neighbors described a frantic scramble in the middle of the night but said there were no children or pets inside the home when the fire broke out. Anyone with information can contact the Houston Fire Department’s public information line at 832-394-6700 or check the department’s website for updates: Houston Fire Department.
