Greater Houston Fire Battalion

White Oak - December 17, 2010

The crew of HFD Engine 15 awaits water before attacking a fully-engulfed garage at White Oak & Usener. A large house next to it was severely threatened by the 1-11 fire, but was successfully protected.

Post Oak Park - December 14, 2010

Firefighters stretch hoselines to the roof of a carport adjacent to a fast-spreading fire in a three-story, all-wood-exterior townhome in the fashionable Galleria area of west Houston. The 3-11 fire at 1231 Post Oak Park was reported around 9 PM, less than 2 hours after another multiple alarm apartment fire across town. District 8 Chief Leonard Mikeska is shown directing crews under his command. Ironically, he is the same chief pictured in the Coke Street fire earlier that evening. (He doesn't mind, though.) This fire was contained to two townhome units despite a heavy volume of fire on arrival.

Coke - December 14, 2010

HFD firefighters work to contain a stubborn apartment fire east of downtown at 5300 Coke and Calles Street at about 7:30PM. The 2-11 fire damaged approximately six occupied units before being contained.

Pasadena - December 13, 2010

HFD firefighters pull soffit boards down from a burning single-story occupied home at 1854 Pasadena St. on the city's southeast side about 4:30 AM. The one-alarm fire required two additional engines for manpower before it was contained. The residents made it out safely, but a firefighter was injured, though not seriously, when he tripped on a hole in the front yard of the house as crews were making their initial attack.

West Fuqua - December 11, 2010

HFD District 21 Chief Roger Westhoff directs an engine crew at a one-alarm fire that heavily damaged a one-story hair salon building at West Fuqua and South Post Oak Road in southwest Houston around 11 PM. An interior attack was switched to exterior as fire spread into a sizable attic sandwiched between the original flat roof and a secondary pitched "rain roof."

75th - December 3, 2010

Relief and RIT crews standby in the parking lot of a small, yet tightly packed complex of apartments at South 75th and Capital Streets, on the city's east end. A fire, reported about 7:15 p.m., fully consumed a single-story apartment building in the complex and seriously threatened two more two-story buildings shown on either side of this photo. The exposures, plus some early water supply problems, prompted the IC to pull 3 alarms.

Lawndale - November 29, 2010

The crew of HFD Tower 18 trains its pipe on a burning 100x200 foot vacant metal warehouse on Lawndale and Collier Streets. The 2-11 fire was reported about 7:20 AM and destroyed one of several similar buildings in a complex of run-down vacant warehouses in an industrial section of the city's southeast side.

Wilson - November 26, 2010

HFD members move in on a heavily-involved one-story house fire at Wilson & Ruthven, just west of downtown. The one-alarm fire, dispatched about 8:40 AM, destroyed the vacant structure in the city's Old Fourth Ward, an area undergoing gentrification which has created a number of major potential exposure problems. Such was not the case, though, at this fire.

Dairy Ashford - November 12, 2010

The crew of HFD Tower 69 repositions its bucket while battling a strip shopping center fire on November 12, 2010 at Dairy Ashford & Whittington Streets in far west Houston. The fire fully involved a Dollar Store in the middle of a long, one-story building but only caused smoke and water damage to adjoining stores. The 2-11 fire began shortly before 4 PM and snarled evening rush hour traffic in the area.

Westheimer - October 31, 2010

HFD firefighters operate hand lines on the Park Street side of a large antique store at 1714 Westheimer St. The blaze originated in that business but quickly spread to a 2-story coffee shop on the opposite side of this photo scene. Both businesses were total losses. The fire was reported about 00:45 and went to 3 alarms.

Gears - October 13, 2010

A fast-spreading 3-alarm fire destroyed or damaged 48 apartment units at the Driscoll Place complex at 1303 Gears Road in far north Houston just after 2:30 PM. The fire spread rapidly, with the aid of dry gusty winds, from the unit of origin, up exterior wooden shakes, then through common attics over two, three-story buildings, each containing 24 units.

South Rice - October 12, 2010

HFD Senior Captain Jeff Cook descends the aerial of Ladder 51 after surveying the scene of a fire at a school under construction in southwest Houston about 9 AM. The 1-11 fire (5 engines, 3 ladders, 3 district chiefs, and support units) burned stacks of building materials on the roof of the new Lovett Elementary at 8814 South Rice Ave. Students at the current Lovett, right next door, were evacuated as a precaution. Foam had to be used to extinguish all of the plastic materials burning.

West Belfort - October 5, 2010

HFD members attack a fire in an apartment building that spread to three units and a false pitched roof facade. A 1-11 (additional engine, ladder, rescue squad, and district chief) and a call for two additional engines were required to bring the blaze under control. The fire snarled traffic in the 6200 block of West Bellfort at about 6 PM.

W. Airport - September 27, 2010

A pre-dawn fire at 6363 West Airport in District 68 went to two alarms before it was contained. HFD used a defensive posture to knock the well-involved apartment complex fire down at 04:51. There were two civilian fatalities and at least eight units destroyed.

Gray Ridge - September 24, 2010

Houston Firefighters assist the Community VFD at a massive apartment fire on the far west side of the city at 15,255 Gray Ridge Drive. HFD dispatched a full first alarm assignment upon request for mutual aid to assist its neighboring department at about 11 PM. An entire 3-story building was destroyed.

Wilcrest - September 15, 2010

An HFD engine crew moves in with a handline, backed up by an in-place RIT crew and a back-up hose line crew, after defensive operations knocked down much of a fast-spreading apartment fire. The 2-11, 2-tap (2 extra engines) fire at 10,300 Wilcrest & Kipp Lane in busy southwest District 68 was reported about 6:40 AM. At least eight units were destroyed or heavily damaged, but the fire was successfully cut off before reaching at least eight more. One resident complained of smoke inhalation.

IH-610 - September 12, 2010

HFD District 19 Chief Phil Hudgens directs fire crews on the North 610 Loop adjacent to an Eastex 59 Freeway "flyover" ramp where an 18-wheel gasoline tanker rolled and burned around 12:30 in the morning. The driver of the rig reportedly lost control of it while exiting on the ramp. Fortunately, he managed to escape injury, and the spot where he came to rest was under neither of two higher ramps nearby that undoubtedly would have been closed for months had either been exposed to the fire. Crews took about an hour to extinguish the blaze. The interchange has been the site of a number of similar tanker fires over the years as it handles a high volume of big-rig traffic.

Fondren - August 25, 2010

Houston firefighters battled a 3-alarm blaze that completely destroyed a wholesale cleaning supply business in a strip shopping center. The fire was reported at 5 AM at Fondren & Harwin. First units found the one store fully engulfed on arrival. The crew in this photo awaits water in their 2 1/2-inch hoseline on the "A-B" corner about 15 minutes into the fire. The "B" exposure shown on the left was a separate strip center that was successfully protected. Several other stores, though, in the primary building were heavily damaged by smoke and some fire.

S. Gessner - August 1, 2010

A 3-alarm fire raced through a common attic over about 14 Houston apartment units at 3230 S Gessner near Richmond Ave. just before 1 AM. Shown here, HFD firefighters move in about mid-building in the 24-unit structure to cut off flames from any further advance, an effort that proved successful.

Lombardy - July 6, 2010

A two-story garage-apartment building on the corner of Lombardy & Munger in southeast Houston went up in flames around 9:45 AM. Here, first-in Engine 18's crew members get air bottles changed while their station-mates on Tower 18 vent the roof. Aggressive interior followed by exterior attacks knocked the bulk of the one-alarm fire down in about 15 minutes.

Bering - June 26, 2010

Houston's famous "Uptown-Galleria" area has been the site of four multiple-alarm fires in just as many days. Just after 5:30 AM, a 3-alarm fire destroyed an 8-unit apartment building at 1881 Bering Drive between San Felipe and Westheimer, just west of the Galleria Mall. The photo shows the crew of Ladder 28 abandoning their ventilation attempt as the fire does it for them. Investigators are looking into the cause of this fire, but lightning has been blamed for the three mutliple-alarms earlier in the week. There were localized, yet severe, thunderstorms on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday in the area where all of these fires have occurred.

Oak Hollow - June 25, 2010

Village (Tex.) FD Ladder 1, a 2002 Pierce Quint (2000 gpm/75-ft), was the attack pumper as well as the aerial pipe provider at this large, stubborn house fire at 10,806 Oak Hollow in Hunters Creek, Texas, a bedroom community on Houston's west side, dispatched at 13:37 June 25. HFD was also called and ended up with almost two alarms on scene. Career Village FD protects six high-income, incorporated "villages" (hence the name) with one station housing an engine company, a chief car, EMS units, and this quint, which is the only non-HFD apparatus to have an HFD number; it is Ladder 301 when responding into Houston.

Augusta - June 24, 2010

HFD firefighters move lines into postion to protect the "B" exposure adjacent to a burning 120 x 60 apartment building with a common attic. Eight large units were heavily damaged and the tile roof completely burned off the building at Augusta & Valley Forge in west Houston on June 24 just after 11 PM. The area had experienced severe lightning earlier in the evening, but investigators were on the scene to determine the exact cause.

Northborough - May 29, 2010

A 2-alarm fire burned the pitched attic and roof off an entire apartment building containing about 20 units at 13,011 Northborough near Greens Road on the far north side of Houston just after midnight. HFD Ladder 74 can be seen in this photo training its aerial stream onto the north-end of the blaze. There were no reports of injury at the fire.

72nd - May 17, 2010

HFD members battle a 3-11 fire on the city's east side. The fire was reported shortly after 11 PM at 72nd Street & Ave. B. Crews operated with 2 1/2-inch hand lines for a short period before moving to a defensive mode with aerial streams. The blaze destroyed the heavily-stocked 60 x 150 ft. metal storage building and briefly threatened a commercial building facing Harrisburg Blvd. on the opposite side of this photo.

Telephone - May 9, 2010

Houston firefighters were called out about 8:30 AM on Mothers' Day morning to battle a smoky night club fire on the southeast side. The 2-11 blaze destroyed the 50 x 150 ft. metal-clad building in the 4700 block of Telephone Road near Fairway Drive. Operations were briefly offensive when first-arriving units were told by onlookers that people might still be in the building. The shift was soon made to defensive after word came that those thought to be inside were actually outside. Ladder 26 and Tower 18 knocked much of the fire down.

Hughes - April 8, 2010

HFD Ladder 93 directs its aerial stream into a Presbyterian church on the deep southeast side of the city. The fire was reported just after 11 PM by an HFD unit passing the location at Hughes Road & Sageglen. The entire one-story church was gutted by the blaze. HFD was in defensive mode from the start.

Delano - April 4, 2010

HFD firefighters operate briefly in the defensive mode as this exposure's attic flashes over. This structure was used as a pool hall, but the fire started in a vacant, similar-size house on the opposite side in this photo. Yet another house beyond that was heavily damaged as well. The 1-11 fire brought out 5 engines, 3 ladders, and several chiefs and support units to the scene at Delano & Drew, just south of downtown, about 7:30 Easter morning. Presumably this blaze had no connection to the other 3-house fire yesterday morning which was several miles away.

Market - April 3, 2010

An early-morning fire in Fifth Ward (just northeast of downtown) involved 3 houses on the corner of Market & Schweikhardt. District 19 Chief Mike Phillips called for 3 additional engines upon arrival at about 03:45 AM, then added a full second alarm a few minutes later. In the photo, crews gain the upper hand on the primary structure, a large one-story home, after containing fire involving another one-story house on the B-exposure side and a heavily-damaged two-story house on the C-exposure side.

Bellaire - March 13, 2010

HFD HazMat teams inspect the gasoline levels remaining in an overturned 18 wheeler. The driver stated that "his load shifted" while making a turn under the 610 West Loop at Bellaire Blvd. Command was handled by Bellaire FD, who, upon arrival, ordered the closure of the 610 West Loop in both directions over Bellaire Blvd. Traffic was backed up all across the city as the west loop was closed from approximately 11:30am until 8:00pm.

Finchwood - March 5, 2010

HFD firefighters stretch hoselines into a two-story residence on the southwest side where five victims -- three children and two adults -- were rescued from the house and taken to local hospitals. The 1-11 fire at Finchwood & Concourse appeared to have started in the garage area, and two automobiles parked in the driveway were fully engulfed. One of the adult victims subsequently died in the hospital.

Northwood - March 4, 2010

Houston FD crews worked for about 45 minutes to free a female driver of an SUV that crashed head-on into a tree about 5:30 AM at Northwood & Gardner on the city's near north side. She was transported to the hospital with multiple injuries. The extrication was conducted by "B" shift crews from Tower 6, Heavy Rescue 11, and Rescue 42.

Smith - March 4, 2010

Downtown firefighters work to extinguish a fire in a former house converted to an office at 2405 Smith St. before dawn. The fire got in the walls of the building and took about 45 minutes to control.

Homestead - February 27, 2010

A vacant building at 11,924 Homestead Road & Winfield Rd. in unincorporated northeast Harris County, Texas went up in flames around 3 AM. The Eastex VFD had primary jurisdiction for the 100 x 300 ft., one-story commercial property, but about ten other FDs responded on mutual aid, including Houston, which sent a full first alarm assignment. Shown here, flames blow out of the store front while four aerial master streams are trained on the fire, three from HFD and one from the Westfield VFD. Half of the structure was destroyed.

Milam - February 15, 2010

Firefighters from HFD Tower 6 remove a ladder for use at a 2-11 fire at Milam & Francis on Feb. 15, 2010. The popular Mai's Vietnamese Restaurant was destroyed by the pre-lunchtime fire which spread from the kitchen to the attic and second floor.

Sherman - February 12, 2010

An old two-story apartment building on Sherman & Lenox, east of downtown, went up in flames around 1 PM. The fire quickly went to 2 alarms, but when an HFD firefighter issued a Mayday call several minutes later, a 3-11 was dispatched, per HFD policy, bringing a total of more than 100 firefighters to the scene. The member was rescued from a second-floor window shortly after the Mayday.

Memorial - February 12, 2010

HFD firefighters were called to assist the Village FD on a house fire at 10,938 Memorial Dr. around 3:30 AM. The Village FD is the only FD to which Houston routinely provides automatic aid, and vice versa. However, this particular morning, the VFD was at another house fire when this one came in, so HFD ended up arriving first to find the large home fully engulfed, but the residents were all safely outside, including a baby.

West Montgomery - February 4, 2010

HFD District 77 Chief Pete Rouse, beside another firefighter, coordinates the "C" Division of a defensive-mode 2-11 fire at West Montgomery Road and Dolly Wright in far northwest Houston around 10 PM. The large building, a former store converted to a church, was destroyed.

Tangley - January 31, 2010

HFD truck crews from Stations 16 and 33 work to ventilate a heavily involved apartment building at 2415 Tangley near Rice University. The fire was reported about 8:30 AM and heavily damaged 3 units. HFD summoned a 1-11 alarm bringing 5 engines, 3 trucks, and numerous chief and support units.

Stella Link - January 26, 2010

Southwest Houston firefighters arrived at this occupied apartment complex on Stella Link near South Loop 610 about 3 AM to find heavy fire blowing out of the office, and two second-floor units, with the blaze running through a common pitched-roof attic. After pulling 3 alarms, they were able to contain the fire to about 12 units. This photo shows first-arriving crews attempting to knock down the large body of fire that greeted them.

Katy Freeway - January 18, 2010

Houston fire fighters used multiple aerial streams and ground multiversals to suppress quickly a fully involved building at a west-Houston car dealership. The 2-11 fire broke out just before 3 PM on January 18, 2010 at Katy Freeway & N. Kirkwood in a building that was formerly a car showroom, but used lately as a parts warehouse.

Beverly Hills - January 3, 2010

HFD crews work to extinguish a three alarm fire in a printing warehouse that started around 10:15 PM at Beverly Hills and Bering Drive. The blaze consumed the entire warehouse and lasted for over two hours before the fire was under control.