16 families homeless for holidays after fire destroys apartment building

HOUSTON – Sixteen families are without a home just two weeks before Christmas after a fire ripped through their apartment building.

The fire started just before 9 a.m. Saturday at the Pier Club Apartments on Club Creek Drive. 

“It was scary,” said Sabrina Cirlos, who was walking by and spotted the smoke.

Cirlos said she called 911 and immediately started knocking on doors to get people out. 

“We were knocking on all the apartments and nobody would answer, so we started banging on doors,” Cirlos said.

“I just heard people screaming,” said Gaddi Salgado, who lived in one of the units near the apartment where the fire started. 

As soon as Salgado stepped outside all he could see were smoke and flames. He also began knocking on doors to wake up his neighbors.

The Houston Fire Department upgraded the fire from a two-alarm to a three-alarm blaze.

“We had a lot of significant events occur during this incident such as a partial roof collapse and there was a temporary mayday of a lost firefighter,” HFD Capt. Ruy Lozano said. “Fortunately he was found.”

Nobody was injured, but the smoke and flames destroyed a total of 16 units. The Red Cross is now assisting displaced residents. “It really lowers morale, but just as long as everyone is safe,” Salgado said. “We still have tomorrow.”

The Houston Arson Bureau is investigating the cause of the fire.