HOUSTON – A three-alarm fire consumed the Olympia Drywall Co. warehouse in northwest Houston Thursday morning, requiring nearly 100 firefighters to bring the flames under control.
About 130 personnel responded to the scene, including crews from 20 fire stations, two heavy rescue teams, hazardous materials units, and even the department’s command van.
The fire caused an estimated $3 million in damage. The cause is still under investigation by HFD’s Arson team.
In the aftermath, Mayor Whitmire addressed concerns over the city’s infrastructure, noting that this was a clear example of neglected systems. He specifically pointed out that two fire hydrants were inoperable during the fire.
What happened?
Firefighters were called to a rapidly spreading fire Thursday morning at a commercial building in northwest Houston.
SEE ALSO: Houston firefighters, city controller clash over overtime spending
The fire broke out at Olympia Drywall Co., located on McAllister Road.
Houston Fire Department crews noticed flames and smoke shooting out of the building. KPRC 2’s Re’Chelle Turner also arrived at the scene, where she caught up with Captain Sedrick Robinett and received preliminary details about how everything unfolded.
He began by noting it was a 3-alarm fire, meaning the flames spread to the point where HFD needed to call for additional reinforcements.
A total of 100 firefighters were at the warehouse battling flames. Despite the heavy crew response, no injuries were reported.
“We ran into a few issues: water supply, we had a few hydrants that had low pressure, so we had to readjust the apparatus to get more water from the hydrants,” he explained. “We don’t know if anyone was in the building, but there were no reports of any injuries or transports.”
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and Capt. Robinett urged residents to avoid the area. Members from the Houston Health Department were also called to evaluate the air quality, but there does not seem to be any threat to the public.