Residents in the area say an abandoned hotel near a busy McDonald’s has caught fire time and time again—raising serious safety concerns while also highlighting the ongoing struggle to find shelter for people experiencing homelessness.
Neighbors tell us each fire brings fear and frustration, especially because of how close the building is to businesses and homes.
OUR FIRST REPORT: Fire at vacant Channelview hotel is seventh major fire at the property in just over a year
But many also say the situation isn’t simple.
While they want the fires to stop, they don’t want the people sleeping inside the building to be forgotten, causing them to be torn between compassion and concern.
“It’s scary every time,” said Toni Lampasas, whose grandmother lives nearby. “You don’t know when it’s going to happen again—or how bad it could be.”
She says the most recent fire hit especially close to home. Her grandmother frequently visits the McDonald’s next door for coffee, passing right by the building.
“Me and my grandma were going down the street right here, coming to eat at the restaurant, and it was on fire again,” she said. “I looked over and I was like, ‘Oh my God—it’s on fire again! How is that possible?”
While Lampasas says safety is her top concern, she also expressed deep sympathy for the homeless community sheltering there. One of them, she says, is a close friend.
“My friend Bill—I give him my pillow and my Coke every Christmas,” she said. “I want him to have somewhere to go, but I also don’t want my grandma to be in danger.”
That emotional tug-of-war is something many neighbors say they feel every day.
They’re now calling on city leaders to step in, hoping for a solution that keeps the neighborhood safe while also offering real help to those with nowhere else to turn.
City officials say they are aware of the repeated fires at the property. We’re continuing to ask what steps, if any, will be taken to address both the safety risks and the need for shelter options in the area.
Fire Marshalls say a legal process has to be completed before the structure is demolished.