House fire leaves 1 dead, 1 recovering in hospital

2 people hospitalized in unknown condition

HOUSTON – A house fire in northeast Houston has left one person dead and another remains hospitalized with serious burns.

The Houston Fire Department was called to a fire in the 3200 block of Florida Street at 1:15 a.m. Saturday.

HFD spokesperson Kenyatta Parker said when crews arrived at the scene, they found two people suffering from significant injuries. Parker said the body of a man was discovered after firefighters entered the home and began efforts to knock down the fire.

Resident Bill Williams told Local 2 he drifted off to sleep after making a sandwich overnight. When he woke up, he saw flames coming from the couch.

"I'm yelling, fire! Fire! I'm hollering at the top of my lungs and I threw water on it and made it worse," said Williams.

Williams and another roommate were able to make it out of the house but both suffered burns. Williams was treated and released Saturday. He told Local 2 his roommate's burns were much more serious and that man remains hospitalized.

The fire broke out in a small house located behind another home on Florida. Agnes Lopez said her mother tried to help the men out by letting them stay in that smaller residence. Saturday, she and her family struggled to understand what may have caused the fire and why one of the men was unable to make it out.

"He was a hardworking man. Quiet – kept to himself," said Lopez.

Arson investigators and Houston police homicide detectives spent hours at the scene Saturday, trying to determine how the fire started and how the victim died. A detective told Local 2 there didn't appear to be any signs of foul play. Since some of the men smoked cigarettes, that was a possibility being considered as a potential cause of the blaze.