HOUSTON, TX – A major apartment fire on Friday night resulted in the death of a resident and left many tenants homeless. The fire broke out at the Villas Del Paseo apartment complex on Elmside Drive around 8:30 p.m. According to the Red Cross, the fire ravaged 24 units, leaving an additional 10 without water and electricity.
Recalling the harrowing incident, Cindy Urbina, a resident, said, “I heard them scream ‘fire, fire, fire.'” The fire, which blazed for two hours before being contained by the Houston Fire Department, severely impacted the apartment complex. Because of the immediacy of the situation, many tenants, including Urbina, could only manage to get their family members out.
Another resident, Shawona Austin expressed gratitude for a neighbor’s timely alert, “My daughter and my sister-in-law and my niece could have been dead, had a neighbor knocked on the door because my daughter was asleep.”
Regrettably, the Houston Fire Department (HFD) confirmed one fatality from the fire.
Following the incident, several residents returned to the ashes of their homes hoping to find any remaining belongings. The American Red Cross stepped in to provide shelter and assistance to those affected.
While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, some tenants expressed their suspicions about possible negligence by apartment management. Tenants were offered the option to relocate to a new unit or receive a refund for the month’s rent.