Sunday, October 7, 2012

HFD: Two-alarm apartment complex fire that injured firefighter downtown Houston ruled arson

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Detectives at the Houston Fire Department say a two-alarm blaze that gutted a north Houston apartment complex early Friday morning was intentionally set by someone.

The raging fire was captured on home video. Flames shot high into the air as firefighters worked frantically put out the blaze at the complex on Flecher at Carl. No one was hurt but several units were damaged.

"It was 20 feet up in the air when I saw it and it went out of control," said Alfonso Salazar, who lives nearby and shot the video he sent to us through our iWitness reports.

We were there as firefighters rushed into the apartment complex at about 5am. They were already in the area responding to several trash fires.

"They were busy with these trash fires when somebody came running up and said there's a house on fire," said Joe Evans with the Houston Fire Department.

The flames were so high and the smoke so thick that one firefighter had to be wheeled out on a stretcher.

"Houston arson division will be talking to all of the people and interviewing everybody within the three-block area," said Evans.

He says the fire started on the front porch and quickly spread to attic and nine apartment units. Residents inside worked together to get out in time.

Tanea Perez woke up her mom and sisters.

"My mom and my sisters, they went out because it was like a fire," she said.

And even though they're happy to be alive, many residents wonder where they'll go from here.

"Where am i going to go? I'm going to have to get another place," said resident James Torres. "I've been laid off from work."

Right now, authorities have not identified any suspects.

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