Some residents at the 3 Corners West Apartments said people parked in marked fire lanes on the property Tuesday night, which they believe delayed HFD’s response.
HOUSTON — A massive fire tore through the 3 Corners West Apartments in northwest Houston Tuesday evening, displacing dozens of families and destroying much of what they owned.
Resident Nina Gardner captured cell phone video of the flames as the Houston Fire Department battled the blaze.
“I was like, oh my god, we’re going to lose the apartment, and I was like, that’s crazy. I would have never thought,” Gardner said.
Aerial video from Air 11 showed the extent of the destruction on Wednesday. According to the Houston Fire Department, approximately 100 apartment units were damaged either by fire or water.
Cell phone video provided to KHOU 11 showed Gardner entering her unit on Wednesday. Water was still pooled inside her apartment. She said clothes, furniture and cherished personal belongings were all destroyed.
“It is really sad. Just the stuff that I’ve gotten, like hand-written letters and stuff from family members and friends, I can’t get that stuff back, and I can’t replace it,” Gardner said.
Gardner and her roommate, Madison Henderson, told KHOU 11 that they saw other residents parked in red lanes on the property, marked “fire lanes,” which they believe may have delayed the response time for firefighters since they could not park any closer.
“Everyone knew that they weren’t supposed to be parked there, but nothing was being done about it,” Henderson said. “So, that’s just 100 percent frustrating, that it could have been resolved faster, quicker, more effectively.”
An HFD spokesperson told KHOU 11 that they have not received any official documentation from incident command indicating whether fire lanes were blocked during the response. If that detail is confirmed, it will be included in the department’s official report.
Late Wednesday afternoon, HFD sent KHOU 11 the following statement:
“Multifamily dwellings are not required to have fire lanes. If they choose to have an official fire lane, they must be permitted and ensure proper signage to allow for violations to be issued at that property. This property does not have official fire lanes permitted through the City.”
Additionally, the City of Houston Administration and Regulatory Affairs Department said that 311 did not receive any reports on Tuesday night about fire lane issues at the 3 Corners West Apartments.
KHOU 11 also reached out to apartment management regarding concerns about lane access. As of Wednesday night, we were still awaiting a response.
The Houston Red Cross has been assisting displaced residents. They announced Wednesday night that they have moved to a respite center that they have opened at the Korean Community Center at 1809 Hollister St. in Houston. They will be there from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday.
As the Red Cross continues helping those in need, Gardner and Henderson said they are trying to plan their next steps.
“Right now, we’re thinking about moving back in with my mom,” Henderson said.
HFD said the cause and the origin of the fire are still under investigation.
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