SOUTH HOUSTON, Texas – A fire Tuesday sent at least 25 families running from their homes at the Ashton Place Apartment complex in South Houston.
Residents of the building near Allen-Genoa Road and Avenue H said they started hearing smoke alarms sounding about midnight and within minutes they saw huge flames breaking out everywhere.
George Leal, who interpreted for his father, said his family had been forced to move to the apartments after their first home was flooded during Hurricane Harvey. He said his father is worried the family will be forced to live in its car now.
“It used to get flooded really big and we were barely standing up after that and now this happened,” Leal said.
About 70 displaced residents said they did not have time to grab their belongings.
"It just (ran) through the attic and it, you know, got away from us so we called Pasadena and LaPorte to help us out," said Joel, Ferguson with the South Houston Fire Department.
Firefighters said once the fire got into the common attic in the building, there was no stopping the fire.
Firefighters said 25-30 apartments burned.
The Red Cross arrived at the scene at 8 a.m. to provide residents with food and blankets to help them get by.
The Red Cross has also opened an emergency shelter for residents of the now-destroyed apartment complex located at the Golden Acres Baptist Church at Pansy Street in Pasadena.
Rapper Trae The Truth and DJ Mr. Rogers brought joy and Christmas toys at a Red Cross shelter for children who lost everything in the apartment fire.
As #RedCross staff work to open the shelter at Golden Acres Baptist Church, rappers @TRAEABN and @djmrrogers bring smiles and Christmas toys for children who lost everything in the fire. pic.twitter.com/5HIwobafXo
— American Red Cross Texas Gulf Coast (@RedCrossTXGC) December 26, 2017
