HOUSTON – A small blaze ignited at a north Houston apartment complex Wednesday that was the scene of a two-alarm fire a day before that destroyed nearly two dozen units.
The first fire broke out at the Savannah at City View apartments, 17715 Wayforest Drive near Greens Road, about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.
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Thick, black smoke filled the air and bright orange flames consumed buildings. The fire also spread to trees, Dumpsters and vehicles on the perimeter of the complex.
Joyce Newsome said she was heating up oil to fry some chicken, and she left the pot on while she went to use the restroom.
"By the time I went to the bathroom and came back, I heard something popping and cracking," she said. "My daughter screamed, 'Mom, it's a fire!'"
Newsome said she and her son tried to put out the flames, but they did not have a fire extinguisher.
Houston firefighters said 22 units were destroyed.
Several units that did not catch fire were evacuated as a precaution.
"I walked outside and the two apartments behind mine were in flames," resident Araina Diaz said.
The fire was tapped out shortly after 6:30 p.m. More than 80 firefighters battled the blaze.
Wind carried embers toward a nearby field, igniting a second fire for a short time outside the complex Tuesday evening.
A small, third fire flared up along the fence line on Wednesday at 6 a.m. while a KPRC Local 2 reporter was reporting from the scene. The Aldine Fire Department arrived within minutes and extinguished the fire.
Firefighters kept an eye on hot spots that smoldered through the night.
No injuries were reported.
The American Red Cross is helping the displaced families. Harvest Time Church, 17770 Imperial Valley Drive, opened its doors overnight so the families would have a place to stay and some food. More than 100 people showed up for assistance at the church.
"It was just our arms reaching out as God would to the people of our community," said Jacqui Goudeaux with Harvest Time.
Some Houstonians showed up to donate items.
"Boxes and boxes of boys' clothes -- tons and tons of stuff," Kelle Williams said.
Williams said nine months ago, her home burned to the ground and she had to start over, so she knows how the families feel.
The official cause of the fire is under investigation.