A fierce blaze tore through a southeast Houston apartment building Wednesday afternoon, burning away the roof and damaging at least 24 apartments.
No one was seriously injured, authorities said.
The two-alarm fire erupted about 3:30 p.m. at the Park Houston apartment complex in the 12000 block of Martin Luther King. Within five to 10 minutes of arriving at the scene, Houston fire department officials called for backup to help contain the fire as flames ripped through a common attic and threatened to spread to other buildings, said Houston Fire Department spokesman Tommy Dowdy.
"The whole building was going up," Dowdy said. "We just needed more manpower."
He said a total of 17 fire engines, ladder trucks, ambulances and other department vehicles arrived to help battle the blaze, finally getting it under control by about 5 p.m.
At least 24 apartments had fire, water and smoke damage, Dowdy said. One unidentified woman was taken to a local hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation, he said. She is expected to recover, and no one else was hurt, he added.
Red Cross volunteers and staff were at the scene last night, helping displaced families meet immediate needs for shelter, clothing and food.
One man who identified himself a manager at the apartment complex declined to comment and refused to let members of the media onto the property to interview residents or firefighters, saying they were trespassing.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
lindsay.wise@chron.com
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