“As they got in deeper into the fire, the fire ballooned up on them and they started evacuating the building,” HFD Deputy Chief Roger Westhoff said.
HOUSTON — A captain with the Houston Fire Department was rushed to a hospital early Thursday morning after sustaining burns while putting out a house fire in Houston’s south side.
The fire was at a home on Botany Lane near Leitrim Way in the Cloverland neighborhood. HFD said they first got the call at around 12:30 a.m.
The first unit on the scene was actually returning to its firehouse from a different scene when they noticed a column of smoke. Upon arrival, firefighters set up a water line and started trying to knock down the flames before going inside.
Initial reports suggested someone may have been living inside the home, so the unit fought their way in to search for any victims.
“As they got in deeper into the fire, the fire ballooned up on them and they started evacuating the building,” HFD Deputy Chief Roger Westhoff said.
A captain in the unit called for a mayday when he realized they were going to have trouble getting out of the house. They ultimately escaped the burning home through a window, but the captain suffered burns and was taken to a hospital.
The fire was eventually put out, and no victims were found in the home.
Arson investigators were called to the scene to determine the cause of the fire.
HFD said there were reports that someone may have intentionally set the fire. Westhoff said police had a suspect in custody, but it’s unclear whether they started the fire.
Watch the update Westhoff gave at the scene: