Flames out after massive warehouse fire that sent HFD captain to hospital, fire chief says

Jessica Willey Image
Thursday, October 6, 2022
Flames shoot out from warehouse with multiple big rigs in NE Houston
Firefighters were performing a "defensive attack" against the two-alarm blaze that seemingly grew when SkyEye flew over Wednesday afternoon.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A fire that reached two alarms in northeast Houston is out Wednesday evening hours after sparking at a storage warehouse.

Houston Fire Department responded to reports of a warehouse fire at 4847 Blaffer, which is just off the North 610 Loop and right behind a Ford dealership.

In a tweet posted just after 8:30 p.m., HFD said the fire, with hundreds of bales of compressed cardboard and trailers burning, has been extinguished.

Capt. Sedrick Robinette told ABC13 that about 500 bales, each weighing 1,100 pounds and measuring up to 10 feet long, were on fire.

Additionally, 20 trailers, each measuring 53 feet, were burned. Investigators believe the cardboard fueled the fire.

The fire department added that more than 100 crew personnel were on the scene, and no air quality issues were reported.

No employees at the warehouse were injured.

HFD Chief Samuel Peña elaborated that the building is a storage warehouse with 30 trucking bays. A fire captain was sent to the hospital for chest pains and dehydration. His condition is stabilized, Peña said.

SkyEye flew over the scene and located several big rigs docked in a building where smoke and flames were seen.

SkyEye also captured an explosion inside the building.

Houston Fire Department is urging people to avoid the area on the city's northeast side Wednesday afternoon.

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